TRGO Committee Meeting

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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 48

Tuesday, February 5, 2002

The Standing Committee on Transport and Government Operations met at 11:00 a.m. this day, in Room 371, West Block, the Chair, Ovid Jackson, presiding.

Member(s) of the Committee present: Reg Alcock, John Cannis, Bev Desjarlais, André Harvey, Ovid Jackson, Mario Laframboise, Ghislain Lebel, Val Meredith, James Moore, Marcel Proulx, Alex Shepherd, Paul Szabo.

Acting Member(s) present: Julian Reed for Gerry Byrne and Shawn Murphy for Joe Comuzzi.

Other Member(s) present: John Williams.

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

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(3), the Committee resumed 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.

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

YEAS: James Moore, Mario Laframboise, Ghislain Lebel, Bev Desjarlais, Val Meredith - 5

NAYS: Reg Alcock, Julian Reed, John Cannis, Shawn Murphy, André Harvey, Marcel Proulx, Alex Shepherd, Paul Szabo -8

The Committee proceeded to the consideration of the following motion of Ghislain Lebel submitted to the Committee on Thursday, January 31, 2002, pursuant to the Forty-eight hours notice motion adopted on Wednesday, February 21, 2001:

-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.

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

YEAS: James Moore, Mario Laframboise, Ghislain Lebel, Bev Desjarlais, Val Meredith - 5

NAYS: Reg Alcock, Julian Reed, John Cannis, Shawn Murphy, André Harvey, Marcel Proulx, Alex Shepherd, Paul Szabo -8

-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.

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

YEAS: James Moore, Mario Laframboise, Ghislain Lebel, Bev Desjarlais, Val Meredith - 5

NAYS: Reg Alcock, Julian Reed, John Cannis, Shawn Murphy, André Harvey, Marcel Proulx, Alex Shepherd, Paul Szabo –8

-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.

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

YEAS: Mario Laframboise, Ghislain Lebel, Bev Desjarlais, Val Meredith, Reg Alcock, Julian Reed, John Cannis, Shawn Murphy, André Harvey, Marcel Proulx, Alex Shepherd, Paul Szabo - 12

NAYS: James Moore – 1

-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.

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

YEAS: James Moore, Mario Laframboise, Ghislain Lebel, Bev Desjarlais, Val Meredith - 5

NAYS: Reg Alcock, Julian Reed, John Cannis, Shawn Murphy, André Harvey, Marcel Proulx, Alex Shepherd, Paul Szabo –8

At 12:10 the Committee proceeded to the consideration of Future Business of the Committee In Camera.

At 12:25 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Richard Dupuis

Clerk(s) of the Committee