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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 112

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 18, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 112 - Oct/18/22
Mr. Alain Therrien (La Prairie, BQ)
  • Oct/18/22 2:26:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we finally learned that the lucrative Roxham Road contracts awarded to a Liberal donor were worth $28 million. I say “finally” because we have been asking about this for a year. The government has been dodging questions and denying access to information requests for a year. Under pressure, the government finally disclosed how much the contracts known to the media were worth, but it did not disclose the contracts themselves. We know that there are other contracts, namely for hotels. If the government has nothing to hide, why is it refusing to disclose all of the Roxham Road contracts?
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Context: House Hansard - 112 - Oct/18/22
Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)
  • Oct/18/22 2:26:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are ensuring that our immigration and refugee systems remain robust and humane. That is why we invested in the necessary facilities. The decisions regarding contracts were made by public servants, as was mentioned yesterday in committee. The Canada Border Services Agency, or CBSA, is the one that contacted the property owner. The contract involved the only property possible under the circumstances, and the CBSA was already using it to intercept and process irregular border crossers. The rental agreements were negotiated based on fair market value to arrive at a competitive price.
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Context: House Hansard - 112 - Oct/18/22
Mr. Alain Therrien (La Prairie, BQ)
  • Oct/18/22 2:27:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the government is withholding information about the Roxham Road contracts on the grounds of “national security”. What nonsense. In order to offer untendered contracts under the pretext of national security, the law states that there must be a disaster or a threat to life. Roxham Road is neither of those. Yesterday, the fine Liberal donor who got $28 million in contracts disclosed in committee that it was the government itself that insisted that these clauses in the contracts remain confidential. That is very suspicious. Is the Liberal donor who got the $28 million just the tip of the iceberg?
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Context: House Hansard - 112 - Oct/18/22
Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)
  • Oct/18/22 2:28:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we heard in committee yesterday, it was the Canada Border Services Agency that contacted the owner and negotiated the contracts. This included the only land available given the circumstances, and the CBSA was already using it to intercept people crossing the border irregularly. The lease agreements were negotiated to reflect current prices, and this was done independently, by civil servants.
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Context: House Hansard - 112 - Oct/18/22
Mr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, CPC)
  • Oct/18/22 2:53:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that Mr. Guay was paid $28 million for contracts awarded without tenders. In committee, the Liberals did everything they could to suggest there was never any contact with elected members. However, Mr. Guay is known to have attended at least four cocktail party fundraisers with the Liberal member for Châteauguay—Lacolle. Is there a conflict of interest, yes or no? Could land have been leased from someone who is not a Liberal donor?
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