“I do not think we need this new defence agency. The person chosen to lead it will make twice as much as the finance minister and is a close friend of the Prime Minister. I want the member to tell us how she feels about that.”

“Mr. Speaker, I have a very specific question for my colleague. She praised the new structure a lot, although we think it will be unnecessary. Apart from that, does she not feel a little uncomfortable at the thought that the head of this new structure is going to be paid twice as much as the Minister of Finance and that—to be blunt—this executive used to work with the Prime Minister and is a good friend of his? How does she feel about that?”

• Personal attack
  ?

  Question or comment in debate

  Respect 26 of 100

  This statement targeted a person rather than their actions or views: “the head of this new structure is going to be paid twice as much as the Minister of Finance and that—to be blunt—this…”.

  See full analysis →

“I want to hear what changes we could make to this bill to ensure proper oversight. The procurement ombudsman told us he has no power to watch over this, so I worry about how we will keep things honest.”

“Mr. Speaker, some people are in good shape. I congratulate the pages for their outstanding work. Very briefly, I want to hear my colleague speak to any amendments that could be proposed. Personally, I am very concerned about accountability. When we asked, the procurement ombudsman said there is nothing he can do. If the ombudsman has absolutely no oversight authority, how can we put some kind of safeguard in place to ensure that everything stays above board?”

“I worry this new agency will just approve decisions without checking them. Members of Parliament will not be able to watch it closely, and that could lead to special treatment for the Prime Minister's friends. I want to know if my colleague shares this concern.”

“Mr. Speaker, earlier in my speech, I mentioned the concern that an agency like this could become a place merely for rubber-stamping, where people just sign off and say, “There you go, it’s done.” I would like to know whether my colleague shares this concern about a structure where parliamentarians may not always be aware of what is going on and cannot keep a close eye on things to make sure the Prime Minister’s friends are not given preferential treatment.”

“This bill creates a new defence agency. I worry the Prime Minister is using it to appoint his friends. I want to hear my colleague's thoughts on this.”

“Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear from my colleague, who is known in this House for his strong sense of ethics and who often speaks out precisely on issues concerning the close ties that might exist, for example, between a prime minister and a friend he appoints. Curiously, we realize that this is exactly what is happening with this proposed agency. I would like to hear my colleague’s thoughts on this.”