TRGO Committee Meeting

Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.

For an advanced search, use Publication Search tool.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the accessibility of this publication, please contact us at accessible@parl.gc.ca.

Previous day publication Next day publication

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 47

Thursday, January 31, 2002

The Standing Committee on Transport and Government Operations met at 11:05 a.m. this day, in Room 536, Wellington Building, the Chair, Ovid Jackson, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Reg Alcock, John Cannis, Bev Desjarlais, Peter Goldring, André Harvey, Ovid Jackson, Mario Laframboise, Ghislain Lebel, Val Meredith, James Moore, Marcel Proulx, Paul Szabo.

Acting Member(s) present: Sue Barnes for Joe Comuzzi, Wayne Easter for Alex Shepherd, Roy Cullen for Gerry Byrne, and David Anderson for Darrel Stinson. Claude Duplain for Joe Comuzzi, Wayne Easter for Alex Shepherd, Roy Cullen for Gerry Byrne, David Anderson for Darrel Stinson, and Jim Pankiw for Val Meredith.

In attendance: From the Library of Parliament: John Christopher, Research Officer.

Appearing: From the House of Commons: Geoff Regan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

At 11:05 a.m. the Committee proceeded to the consideration of the following motion of Val Meredith presented to the Clerk on Tuesday, January 29, 2002, pursuant to the Forty-eight hours notice motion adopted on Wednesday, February 21, 2001.

Val Meredith moved-That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), Jon Grant, former Chair of the Canada Lands Company, be invited to appear before the Committee to answer questions regarding all aspects of the working relationship between the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, his staff, and Canada Lands Company, during his tenure as Chair of the Crown Corporation.

At 11:10 a.m. the Sitting was suspended.

At 12:00 p.m. the Sitting resumed.

Pursuant to Standing Order 39(5)b) the Committee proceeded to the consideration of the Written Questions No. 90 (Libby Davies), 91 (Libby Davies), 92 (Libby Davies), 93 (Libby Davies), 94 (Peter Goldring), and 99 (Carol Skelton) referred to the Committee on Monday, January 28, 2002.

Geoff Regan answered questions and debate arose thereon.

The Committee resumed consideration on the motion of Val Meredith.

After debate, the question being put on the motion, it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Peter Goldring, James Moore, David Anderson, Mario Laframboise, Ghislain Lebel, Bev Desjarlais, Jim Pankiw - 7

NAYS: Reg Alcock, John Cannis, Claude Duplain, André Harvey, Marcel Proulx, Wayne Easter, Paul Szabo, Roy Cullen - 8

Pursuant to the Forty-eight hours notice motion adopted on Wednesday, February 21, 2001, Ghislain Lebel gave notice of the following motions:

-That the Standing Committee on Transport and Government Operations hold hearings as soon as possible in order to hear from all witnesses that could shed light on serious allegations of patronage, favouritism and interference involving Mr. Alfonso Gagliano, former Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

-That the Standing Committee on Transport and Government Operations invite the Honourable Mr. Don Boudria, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, to appear before the Committee to apprise us of the measures he intends to implement in order to ensure transparency in all the operations of his department.

-That the Standing Committee on Transport and Government Operations invite the Honourable Mr. Alfonso Gagliano, former Minister of Public Works and Government Services, to appear before the Committee in order to shed light on serious allegations of patronage, favouritism and interference in the management of Canada Lands Company.

-That the Standing Committee on Transport and Government Operations call Mr. Howard Wilson, Ethics Counsellor, to appear before the Committee in order to answer our questions regarding serious allegations of patronage, favouritism and interference involving Mr. Alfonso Gagliano, former Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(3), the Committee proceeded to the consideration of the following request of Peter Goldring, Darrel Stinson, Mario Laframboise and Ghislain Lebel:

On January 9, 2002, we learned that the actions Mr. Alfonso Gagliano, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister responsible for Canada Lands Company, were again the object of serious allegations of patronage and favouritism.

Serious allegations are floating around. The very integrity of the department and your government has been called into question. A former chair of a crown corporations is accusing the Minister of:

Ø forcing Canada Lands Company to hire his friend, Tony Mignacca;

Ø imposing a contract pursuant to which CLC had to pay a $5,000 retainer to a Michèle Tremblay, a public relations person, for services CLC did not need;

Ø forcing CLC to do business with companies that had not submitted the best offer; and

Ø attempting to take away its decision-making authority in Quebec, through his Chief of Staff, who insisted that decisions involving Quebec go through the Minister’s office.

In light of these allegations and pursuant to sections 106(3) and 108(1)(a) of the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, we the undersigned, members of the Standing Committee on Transport and Government Operations, are requesting that a meeting of the Standing Committee on Transport and Government Operations be convened immediately.

And debate arose thereon.

At 1:15 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Richard Dupuis

Clerk(s) of the Committee