Ethical Standards

Friday May 24, 2002

 

    Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg--Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, far be it for me to coach the Deputy Prime Minister, but he might have mentioned that the Leader of the Opposition was the head of a secretly funded organization before he came here called the National Citizen's Coalition which refuses to divulge its sources of funding.

    On the same subject, I want to ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether, in the proposals that the government is considering bringing forward, it is considering not just changes with respect to disclosure but also with respect to--

    The Speaker: The hon. Deputy Prime Minister.

    Hon. John Manley (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Crown Corporations, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am always happy to be coached by the member for Winnipeg--Transcona on many different matters, but unfortunately I did not hear the conclusion of his question.

    However I would indicate though that what we are trying to accomplish is greater transparency and greater openness to give the people of Canada the ability to judge whether they agree with Transparency International which already has evaluated us as one of the most open--