What a pleasure it is to be here with you today. Quebec City: soon to be 400 years old and still just as beautiful, still just as young.

March 17, 2004
Quebec City, Quebec

SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER

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Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear colleagues,

What a pleasure it is to be here with you today.
Quebec City: soon to be 400 years old and still just as beautiful, still just as young.

It’s not hard to see why Quebec City is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Every time I come back I find part of my roots.

A French-speaking urban centre, Quebec City is a source of tremendous pride for Canadians across this great land. And it’s not just its past that we can take pride in.

The theme of the 13th economic forum of the Chamber of Commerce, “Quebec City, educational centre; the future through knowledge”, illustrates well the city’s vision. And it is a vision that I share.

But I would just like to say that if we Canadians want to master this new knowledge, we will need to show a new spirit, a new openness.

Progress is not simply the logical culmination of events. It’s not enough to see things differently. One must have the courage to do things differently.

And that is what I would like to talk to you about today. I would like to do so in the context of the changes that are on the horizon in Ottawa, on the one hand, and of the debate that is receiving so much attention on Parliament Hill, on the other.

Ladies and gentlemen, while we have the pleasure of gathering here this afternoon, the members of the Conservative party, for their part, are preparing to choose a new leader in a few days.

I must tell you that I impatiently await his or her arrival. This will present Canadians with a very clear choice.

To decide which program, which political party, is best able to lead our country forward, and which leader is most committed to make the changes that are needed.

Of course, for us here in Quebec, the political debate will involve the Bloc Québécois. And this too is something I look forward to.

In today’s world of enormous opportunities and challenges, Quebec’s voice must be as strong as possible.

What Quebecers need on the national scene are women and men of action, players on the ice and not mere spectators in the stands whose only role is to boo and jeer.

Today, the contentions of the Bloc are even more unrealistic than ever. Because we have just changed the culture in Ottawa. It’s a new culture that brings a new way of approaching our relations with Quebec. A culture based on openness and partnerships. A culture that celebrates Quebec’s contribution to the success of Canada. A new culture in which the government has pledged to reject the old ways of doing things, the old notions of how to build a country or how to manage a government.

Does the Bloc still have a role to play? Is there a point to it in this new era? That’s for the people of Quebec to decide.

But regardless of their decision, regardless of their choice, they must know, beyond any doubt, that I am personally and profoundly committed to rapid and permanent changes in the way things are done in Ottawa.

A change to the culture of Parliament, where all MPs, including government members, are now empowered and encouraged to defend their opinions and vote according to their conscience.

A change to the culture of government, where we have declared all-out war against waste and mismanagement, and where we will put an end to cronyism.

In the days and weeks following the release of the Auditor General’s report, it was fundamentally important for me to face up to Canadians’ criticisms.

First of all to explain to them, in detail, the measures that the government had taken in response to the findings contained in the report.

But above all to hear people’s comments, across the country. I won’t deny it. It was difficult and often painful to listen to what they had to say. Many were extremely disappointed, even out-and-out furious, and rightly so. Others merely shrugged their shoulders and said: “What do you want – that’s the way politicians are and that’s the way things work in government.”

To tell you the truth, it was tougher for me to witness the indifference than to face up to the anger.

One thing I can promise you is that I’m going to change the way citizens feel about their government.

And the only way to do that is to change the way government works. This means changing its culture, changing it for the better, and changing it for good.

It was a personal pledge that I announced almost two years ago, and it’s even more important today.

Is there disenchantment with government? Yes there is. And that’s not going to change until the culture of government changes. And I give you my word, I’m going to make that happen.

Even before our new government was sworn in, even before the Auditor General tabled her report, we had made it clear that, as far as we were concerned, change would not simply be a buzz word.

As I said 18 months ago, the change in culture, in the way things are done, will be the yardstick against which our success will be measured.

We have already begun preparing the ground for this. The Speech from the Throne highlighted our commitment to genuine, far-reaching democratic reform.

Let’s be frank: In recent decades, the Prime Minister’s Office had become too powerful, to the detriment of our Parliamentary process.

This trend must be reversed, and the sooner the better. That’s why by the end of our first week with the House back in session, we unveiled a series of reforms aimed at increasing the role, the influence and the freedom of Members of Parliament.

We acted quickly, because the role of MPs is essential to the change in culture that we want to put in place. And also because Canadians who don’t think that their MP can make a difference are also going to think that their own voice will never be heard in Ottawa.

From this point forward, MPs will be more important than they have been in decades.

For example, most votes in Parliament will now be free votes, which means that MPs will be able to vote more often in a manner that is consistent with the opinions of their constituents, rather than those of the Prime Minister.

In fact, Members have already had an opportunity to try out this new freedom. Following a debate in the House of Commons last month, 30 Liberal Party MPs voted against the government’s official policy on studying the missile-defence shield project. And I applauded them!

We must rid Ottawa of this old culture in which MPs were like non-speaking extras in some second-rate movie, relegated to the background.

From now on they can talk loud and clear. About the substance of policies and about the use of Canadians’ money. And when they talk, their voices will be heard. And that means that your voice will be heard.

This is also why we have backed the idea of creating the position of an independent ethics commissioner, who will report to Parliament rather than to the Prime Minister. Transparency is now the rule, not the exception.

All of these changes – and these are genuine changes – preceded the Auditor General’s report. But we aren’t stopping there. This is only the beginning.

I remember only too well how deeply troubled I was when I read the Auditor General’s report.

But I remember thinking at the time: “This is unacceptable. The only solution is to make all this the first test of our commitment to change the way things are done in Ottawa.”

There were two options. We could have swept it all under the rug and acted as though nothing had happened. This is a political tactic that people are only too familiar with.

The other option was more difficult. It was to take the bull by the horns, admit that there was a problem and deal with it.

We chose the more difficult path. It meant taking quick and decisive action in order to put in place the necessary investigative mechanisms as well as tough financial controls to avoid this type of abuse.

Culture change in any institution, much less government, is never easy. But there was only one answer to the Auditor General’s report: don’t try to cop out, face it head on. Pull out all the stops to get to the bottom of the matter, and then put in place the means to make sure that it never happens again. We have done that. And we will go on doing it.

And let me tell you, as a result the political process in Ottawa will never be the same again.

Make no mistake: the bureaucracy, the political process, and Ottawa in general will never be the same.

Not because nothing works well, not because there aren’t a lot of committed, determined and capable people who are working to build their country.

But because we need to aim higher. Because it is our duty to do better.

Canadians are already aware that we have taken radical action in the wake of the Auditor General’s report: a parliamentary commission began sitting almost immediately. We have set up an independent commission of inquiry, which will be getting underway very soon in Montreal. A lawyer is already at work trying to recover the misappropriated funds. In cases where the Auditor General’s findings were particularly clear, certain heads of Crown corporations were suspended, while others were dismissed.

And while this is all going on, we’re not just twiddling our thumbs. Quite the contrary. The same resolve and the same determination that we have demonstrated in response to the Auditor General’s report are being employed to make real and essential changes in the way government operates.

Yesterday the government changed the way appointments are made to the Immigration and Refugee Board.

From now on these appointments will be based on recommendations by experts and will be free of any political influence.

The Treasury Board President has announced that, effective immediately, the government will reform the process for appointing heads of Crown corporations.

From now on, it will be imperative to find the person best qualified to run these important corporations. The only selection criterion will be competence, as opposed to being a friend of the government.

In the same spirit of progressive reform, we want to give Parliamentarians the right to review the vast majority of appointments to senior government positions, including appointments to the Supreme Court of Canada.

In the past, the process by which the Prime Minister appointed these judges unfolded behind closed doors.

We have excellent Supreme Court justices who are recognized the world over. But the way we arrive at these appointments is from a bygone era, and we need to acknowledge this. This has to change.

We aren’t interested in submitting these appointments to politicized hearings that often make all sorts of noise but don’t do much good.

What we’re interested in, rather, is to put to good use the knowledge and informed opinions of experts and Parliamentarians in order to help the Prime Minister make the best possible decisions.

The Minister of Public Works, declared this week a moratorium on new government advertising until June 1.

He did this to give the Government the time required to put in place a more rigid procurement process and to affect a widespread overhaul of the approach taken to government advertising.

We have also decided to reduce the budget dedicated to media buying by 15 per cent.

In addition, the President of the Treasury Board has confirmed our intention to act quickly in order to extend the Access to Information Act to most Crown corporations. Once again, this reflects our commitment to openness and transparency.

Taken together, these initiatives must be seen as a categoric rejection of a system that is not consistent with an open, modern country such as Canada.

Taken together, these initiatives give you a good idea of the major changes that we’re making to the way things are done in Ottawa. And all of this just this week.

And it’s only Wednesday!

Here’s what we have in store for next week!

I’m announcing today that next Monday, March 22nd, we are going to introduce legislation in the House of Commons to protect whistleblowers who come forward to report wrongdoing in government, in departments as well as the Crown corporations.

And because this legislation will not take effect until the debate in Parliament has concluded, we have already put in place the necessary measures to protect anyone who provides information about abuses in the sponsorship program.

Our goal is to strengthen the integrity of Government. To achieve that goal, we must create an environment in which the reporting of wrongdoing can be made without repercussion for someone who comes forward. We are doing just that.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have just sketched out a good portion of our agenda for change. But there is something else we have to do to change the way things are done in Ottawa.

And that is to say what we’re going to do and do what we’ve said we would. This commitment begins with our fundamental duty to properly manage public finances. That means managing taxpayers’ money with care and respect. That means curbing waste and mismanagement.

Next Tuesday, in the first budget of our new government, Canadians will see us renew the values of prudent and careful fiscal management.

The Finance Minister will not only keep the budget in balance – an achievement matched by no other G8 nation – but he will introduce a series of further reforms related to the functioning of government.

These reforms will ensure more careful control of public spending and greater oversight of abuse and waste. This will follow on the intensive expenditure review process, a line-by-line examination of every spending item that we began as soon as we were sworn in.

These initiatives are built on the basic fiscal fact that a dollar misspent is a dollar unavailable for health care or education. It’s a dollar unavailable to reduce the tax burden on middle-class families.

Let’s be clear on this! We have an ambitious agenda. And the only way to deliver on this agenda is to restore the public’s trust in government.

That’s why we are advocating zero tolerance for anything that wastes public funds.

I spoke to you about our pledge to say what we’re going to do and do what we’ve said we would. This also applies to our other priorities, priorities that are shared by all Canadians.

First of all, you can be sure that our government will protect universal health care.

I have pledged to meet with the provincial premiers in the summer in order to hammer out a truly comprehensive plan for ensuring the viability of one of Canada’s proudest achievements – our health care system.

People have had it with squabbling between the various levels of government.

It is time we introduced a new attitude, a new era of cooperation that will see us all work together. That’s why we’re determined to do our part to improve our relations with the
provincial governments. It is crucial that we work in a new spirit of partnership.

As far as Canada’s cities are concerned, this new way of doing things has taken the form of an informal agreement, a commitment on the federal government’s part to work with the municipalities, large and small, bearing in mind that they are on the front lines when it comes to most of the challenges and opportunities we face as a country.

We have no intention to encroach upon provincial jurisdictions. What we want to do is strengthen our longstanding partnership with the cities in areas like the environment, infrastructure, housing, immigration and academic research, which is so important for a knowledge centre like Quebec City.

Saying what we’re going to do and doing what we’ve said we would is a commitment that also applies to our vision of Canada’s role in the world.

Clearly, we need to work closely with our international partners in order to counter the terrorist threat that looms over all the countries of the world, Canada included, as we have seen in Madrid this past week.

But we also need to go much further. We have such a grand heritage and such an enviable reputation. We need to seize the opportunity that lies before us to reaffirm our role on the international stage, to speak up, loudly and clearly, for human rights and progress for all. We have the ability to help others build solid institutions without which progress is not possible. In fact, this is the role we are going to play in Haiti.

This afternoon I have talked a lot about change. Let’s be clear. This culture of change that we are bringing to Ottawa is not some exercise in political grandstanding.

It is genuine change for the good of Canada and, above all, for the good of each and every Canadian.

We’re at a point where rhetoric and vague promises of reform no longer respond to citizens’ expectations.

Having said that, I know that cultural changes of this magnitude are never easy to implement.

But let me assure you that we will not give in and we will not hesitate. We will convince the sceptics, through our actions and our behaviour, that “business as usual” and outmoded ways of thinking are no longer acceptable.

No longer will the key to Ottawa be who do you know. We are going to condemn to history the practice and the politics of cronyism.

No longer will the culture in Ottawa be one of entitlement. We are going to condemn to history the politics and practice of waste and mismanagement.

Over the past few weeks I have travelled our country from one end to the other. I listened to a great many Canadians.

They are not asking for a bigger government. They are not asking for a smaller government. They’re asking for a better government, one that listens to them and serves them. They want to be confident that their taxes are being treated with respect and are being used wisely and carefully.

They want to be sure that strict rules are in place to detect any crooked dealings and that these rules are applied stringently and impartially.

In my public life I’ve often found that it’s only in retrospect that you realize that you were right at the heart of a period of important change.

Having said that, I think that what we are living through now is just such a period.

No, let me amend that. I am sure that we are at a turning point. Government will never be the same.

No one can promise that there will never again be government abuse. But I can promise that it won’t be for a lack of vigilance.

And I can promise that any hint of abuse will be swiftly investigated. That those responsible for these misdeeds will be held accountable for their actions. That those who report these misdeeds will be protected.

Over 15 years ago I left the private sector and entered the world of politics. I did so for the same reason that motivates all other Canadians who stand for election.

Like them, I did it because I wanted to serve my city, my province, my country.

In this day and age, maybe such a sentiment, whether it is expressed by a Prime Minister or a candidate running in his or her first electionn, will be greeted with cynicism or indifference.

But that’s the way I felt at the very beginning of my political career and that’s the way I continue to feel today. And I want other people to feel the same way.

Everyone, from the Prime Minister to the first-time candidate, must bear in mind that those among us who have the chance to serve owe an enormous debt to our fellow citizens.

And this debt must be secured by our integrity and repaid by our vigilance.

Nothing is more important than integrity. Integrity of the individual. Integrity of government, That’s why I am going to change the way Ottawa works. This is not a slogan, it's a reality. We are going to change the way Ottawa works. And we’re going to do it – come hell or high water.

Thank you.