Friday, March 7, 2008

Judy Sgro Questions the Government on Chuck Cadman

Hon. Judy Sgro (York West, Lib.):  

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services misused the July 15, 2005 newspaper article as evidence that Mr. Cadman was planning to run again, but, once again, the government's spin is at odds with the facts. What the article actually reported was that Mr. Cadman had planned on running again until April, when he was told that he had only a few months to live.

Did the parliamentary secretary even bother to read the article or was he trying to mislead the House?

Mr. James Moore (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, this is really all the Liberals have left. We have been clear and consistent on the facts of this case. There was the one meeting on the 19th where Doug Finley, Tom Flanagan and Chuck Cadman got together and we made an offer to him to rejoin the Conservative caucus. That was the only offer that was put on the table. We have been clear and consistent about that. The Liberals are persistently trying to change their lines of attack because they are operating without the basic facts of the case that Chuck Cadman himself presented to Canadians.

Hon. Judy Sgro (York West, Lib.):

Mr. Speaker, they can keep running but sooner or later they will need to come to account. This is the Cadman family that is giving us the facts, not them.

The article is further proof that Mr. Cadman had no intention of running again. What is worse is that the Prime Minister would have known this because he had at least two meetings in April and May with Mr. Cadman personally after he was diagnosed.

When will the Conservatives drop this fanciful idea that Mr. Cadman was going to run again and just tell us the truth and admit that they offered Mr. Cadman a bribe?

Mr. James Moore (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, there was no offer of a $1 million life insurance bribe. Any accusation to that effect is false. The Liberals have made the accusation but it is incorrect, libellous and we will see them in court.