[asia-apec 749] Cda. Hansard, Oct.1/98, re: APEC '97

[Sharon R.A. Scharfe]

Note: In the transcript of the House proceedings for Oct.2/98, there were no
references to APEC '97 (!).  Expect the debate to resume next week.

Sharon Scharfe
Parliamentarians for East Timor

--------------------

Hansard
House of Commons 
Ottawa, Canada
October 1, 1998

official excerpts, english version

...

ADJOURNMENT PROCEEDINGS

...

APEC SUMMIT 

Mr. Jim Abbott (Kootenay—Columbia, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, the case of
Peppergate is becoming more and more complex as we have the solicitor
general continuing his cover-up for the Prime Minister by using a body that
was never designed for this purpose. 

There are many people in Canada who make a very good living at building two
or three or four houses a year. They are contractors, very reputable people
who build those homes. However, I would never ever use any of those
contractors to build a 60 storey skyscraper because they lack experience.
They are totally lacking in expertise. They just simply do not have the
ability to get the job done. 

I make a comparison between the Public Complaints Commission of the RCMP and
a small contractor. The purpose of the Public Complaints Commission is
clearly set out in section 45.35(1) of the RCMP Act: 

     Any member of the public having a complaint concerning the conduct, in
the performance of any duty or function under this act of any member or
other person appointed or employed under the authority of this act, may,
whether or not that member of the public is affected by the subject   matter
of the complaint make a complaint. 

This is to get to the bottom of any alleged misdeeds by the RCMP. What we
are talking about here
very clearly and specifically is alleged misdeeds of the prime minister, of
the foreign affairs minister and of this government. 

Furthermore, any evidence taken under this act will be taken under section
37(1) of the Canada
Evidence Act which reads: 

     A minister of the crown or other person interested may object to the
disclosure of information on
     the grounds of the specified public interest. 

In other words, this board, this commission, is not an inquiry. It is a
Public Complaints Commission
capable of building houses, not skyscrapers, and truly we have a skyscraper. 

To underscore the point that this body does not have the expertise, I am not
questioning any of the
board members or their integrity. That is not the issue. The issue is their
expertise and their ability to get the job done. 

I point to the finding of Justice Reed on the matter of whether the board
should have called for the funding of the students. In that he came up with
two reasons, and I quote: 

     The board said that the commission's duty of impartiality would be
compromised by advocating
     for a benefit in favour of only one of the parties before it. 

That is the complainant. She continues: 

Submissions by the commission of the federal government for the funding
requested would intrude on the exclusive power of parliament to legislate
the entitlement which is sought. 

This is not me speaking; this is the judge speaking. She says with respect
to the first ground on which the commission based its decision “the
conclusion is inaccurate”. Also she says with respect to the assertion that
the recommendations would intrude on parliament's executive power to
legislate “that is also incorrect”. 

This is the key. She says that the commission was operating on
misunderstandings of the law. This is the board that is supposed to be
looking into whether the foreign affairs minister and the prime minister
were indeed involved in this matter. 

I suggest—as a matter of fact I charge—that this board is being used as a
cover-up for the prime minister and for the misdeeds of he and his foreign
minister with respect to APEC. 

That is my assertion and I say this on the basis of the fact that the board
unfortunately in the judgment of Justice Reed is incompetent. 

[Translation] 

Mr. Jacques Saada (Parliamentary Secretary to Solicitor General of Canada,
Lib.): Madam Speaker, I should repeat the mandate of this board, for the
benefit of Canadians. It would appear that my colleague across the way has
great difficulty grasping it, so I am going to read it word for word from
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act. I will read from the English text. 

[English] 

     The Commission has, in relation to the complaint before it, the powers
conferred on a board of
     inquiry, in relation to the matter before it, by paragraphs 24.1(3)(a),
(b) and (c). 

[Translation] 

What do paragraphs 24.1(3)(a), (b) and (c) say? First of all: 

[English] 

          —A board of inquiry has, in relation to the matter before it, power 

          (a) to summon any person before the board and to require that
person to give oral or
          written evidence on oath and to produce such documents and things
under that person's
          control as the board deems requisite to the full investigation and
consideration of that
          matter; 

          (b) to administer oaths; 

        (c) to receive and accept on oath or by affidavit such evidence and
other information as                  the board sees fit— 

  
  1835 

[Translation] 

Despite his protestations to the contrary, my colleague across the floor is
casting doubt on the very credibility of the organization. The specific
purpose of creating this board was for it to hear citizen  complaints
against the RCMP. 

This board was informed of the complaint on the initiative of the students
themselves. I find it regrettable that an attempt is being made to use this
as a pretext to discredit that body. 

[English] 

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Thibeault): The motion to adjourn the House is now
deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until
tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1). 

(The House adjourned at 6.36 p.m.) 

  
[end]



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