Procedure to vet Gagliano a farce, opposition says

By DANIEL LEBLANC
G&M 20 mars 2002

Ottawa — In an astounding move, Liberal MPs decided Tuesday that a committee looking into Alfonso Gagliano's "qualifications and competence" as a new ambassador could not ask a single question about his last 25 years in politics.

The Liberal majority on the foreign affairs committee of the House took that step to block opposition questions on the allegations of impropriety that surrounded Mr. Gagliano's tenure as minister of Public Works.

But, as a result, even some uncontroversial questions were rejected. For example, Liberal MP John Harvard was ruled out of order when he simply asked Mr. Gagliano if his many years in public life will serve him well in Denmark.

Opposition MPs said the whole examination was a farce. New Democrat MP Svend Robinson accused the Liberal majority of muzzling the committee.

"I have never witnessed a more pathetic spectacle," he said.

Canadian Alliance MP Peter Goldring said: "There are a lot of these allegations that should have been presented to Mr. Gagliano, and he should have responded to them."

Mr. Gagliano was appointed to Denmark in January, shortly after a former chairman of a Crown corporation denounced political interference involving Mr. Gagliano and his staff at Public Works.

One after another, opposition MPs resisted calls to order from the chair of the committee in a bid to quiz Mr. Gagliano on his conduct as a minister of the Crown. It was probably their last opportunity ever to question his dealings involving friends and Liberal supporters, as Mr. Gagliano is no longer in politics.

"He's being brought to task today for such things as hoisting [his] friends on government departments and Crown [corporations], at a time when the Prime Minister has just hoisted him on the Department of Foreign Affairs and the people of Denmark," Canadian Alliance MP Brian Pallister said.

Mr. Robinson said, "There is a cloud of sleaze and corruption over this minister."

Conservative MP Bill Casey asked Mr. Gagliano what qualifications he brought to the job, given that diplomats usually have 20 years of experience in the field.

Mr. Gagliano defended his integrity, rejecting all allegations of favouritism or patronage.

"I am honest and I have integrity. I do not need any lessons in morality from anyone," he said.

Mr. Gagliano explained that he had been involved in politics at the local and federal levels for 25 years, after arriving in Canada from Italy at the age of 16.

"My record stands out there clear, and I have been serving Canada and Canadians with integrity and honesty," he said to applause from Liberal MPs on the committee.

He got angry only once, when Mr. Robinson asked if, as ambassador, he would be willing to hire a company employing his son-in-law. A former employee of a Crown corporation has alleged that he was asked to give a contract to a company where a relative of Mr. Gagliano worked.

"You abuse your parliamentary privilege in this committee," Mr. Gagliano told Mr. Robinson.

Liberal MPs posed much easier policy questions to the minister.

"Could you overview our trade situation with Denmark?" Liberal MP Pat O'Brien asked.

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien defended Mr. Gagliano's record later on in the House.

"Our ambassador to Denmark is an honourable man who will do a good job representing Canada abroad," Mr. Chrétien said.