Missing Groupaction Report – Ministerial Responsibility

Tuesday March 19, 2002

 

    Ms. Alexa McDonough (Halifax, NDP): Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. Canada's name is still worth something abroad, although there is an astounding lack of self-respect within the government. The public works minister asks us to await the auditor general's report on the Groupaction fiasco.

    Pending the auditor general's report, will the Prime Minister do the decent thing and suspend the appointment of the new ambassador to Denmark?

    Right Hon. Jean Chrétien (Prime Minister, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I think we have allegations here. If something has been proven then one acts, but we cannot act on a smear campaign when there is no proof. We do not know the facts. When we know them we will act.

    It is completely unacceptable to hear these smear attacks all the time about a member of parliament who served parliament for years in a very honourable way.

 

Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg--Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister knows that it is quite common political practice, or it used to be, for ministers to resign or for appointments to be suspended pending an inquiry into matters that might reflect on the integrity of the appointee.

    I say this to the Prime Minister. He can make history by being the first Prime Minister to recall an ambassador before he even gets there. Let us have the inquiry. For the sake of Canada's honour, let us make sure that nothing untoward happened in Mr. Gagliano's department before he became the ambassador.

    Right Hon. Jean Chrétien (Prime Minister, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, there are no allegations at all against the minister. Something might have been wrong in the department. The auditor general will find out the facts. It is completely premature to claim that there is a link between some work in the bureaucracy and the minister. I want to know the facts. When I have the facts, as usual, I will act.