Hansard May 4, 05 Sponsorship: Prime Minister prohibits Gomery from telling who was responsible -- PM "caught"

Hansard May 4, 05

(1500)
Sponsorship Program

Mrs. Diane Ablonczy (Calgary—Nose Hill, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister in his emergency TV broadcast begged Canadians to wait for the Gomery report because “only Gomery can tell us who is responsible”. Yet the Prime Minister prohibits Gomery from telling who was responsible.

Clause k of Gomery's mandate reads, “without expressing any conclusion...regarding the...liability of any person or organization”. The Prime Minister brazenly misled Canadians. How can he be trusted on anything?

Hon. Scott Brison (Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the member should look more closely at Justice Gomery's mandate. His mandate clearly says, “to investigate and report on questions raised, directly or indirectly, by Chapters 3 and 4 of the of the Auditor General” and furthermore, in a second report, to provide prescriptives to prevent it from happening again.

In addition to that, there are RCMP investigations, there are criminal charges currently before the courts and there have been civil proceedings against 19 firms and individuals to recover $41 million. We are clearly taking action and we are also supporting the work of Justice Gomery to get the truth.

Mrs. Diane Ablonczy (Calgary—Nose Hill, CPC): Good bafflegab, Mr. Speaker, but the words read quite differently.

The Prime Minister told Canadians Gomery would tell them which Liberals are responsible for ad scam corruption, but told Gomery he must not tell who was guilty. Gomery himself states, “The commission may not establish...responsibility...nor does it intend to do so”.

The Prime Minister has been caught. How can he possibly claim the moral--

The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

Hon. Scott Brison (Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to note the recent approach of opposition members to attack the mandate of Justice Gomery. They were not doing that before. Instead of that, they were sullying his work by commenting on daily testimony. That did not work, so now they are trying a new approach.

I think it is clear that they do not want Justice Gomery to succeed. They want to discredit the work of Justice Gomery because they fear his report will show to Canadians that the Prime Minister has acted honourably in his work.

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