Friday, November 23, 2007

Judy Questions the Government on Cancellation of Mulroney Settlement Review

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

Mr. Speaker, for weeks the justice minister has squirmed uncomfortably between loyalties: his duty to remove his government's fingerprints from the Mulroney file and his real duty as Canada's justice minister.

Why will he not allow full disclosure when it comes to his own involvement on this file and tell us who shut down his department's review of the $2.1 million Mulroney settlement?

Hon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, I have been completely comfortable answering questions on this and I invite the members of the Liberal Party to ask all 20 questions during question period on this.

As I have indicated, the Prime Minister has set in place a reasonable process whereby an independent third party will make recommendations with respect to a public inquiry and I think the hon. member and her party should let that take its course.

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

Mr. Speaker, the question is the responsibilities of Canada's justice minister.

Two days after the Conservative government took office, the media reported that Brian Mulroney had received three cash payments of $100,000 from Mr. Schreiber. Mr. Mulroney, of course, claims that he never disclosed these payments because he was never asked. However, in 1996 he testified that he knew very little about Mr. Schreiber's business dealings.

Did his Mulroney era friends tell the minister about this contradiction? Is that why he refused to be briefed by the justice department? Let us see if we can get a proper answer for that.

Hon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, the incident to which the member referred was four prime ministers ago. If we remember what members of the Liberal Party were saying about 10 days ago, they all wanted a public inquiry. They were determined to have a public inquiry but they seemed a little disappointed when they got a public inquiry. I think we should let Dr. Johnston do his work.