Current, former ministers summoned to talk about immigrant program
TERESA WRIGHT The Guardian
Olive Crane
The current and former ministers of the department that oversaw the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) are being summoned to appear before the public accounts committee as it moves forward in an investigation of the program.
But the decision to call only Innovation Minister Richard Brown and former minister Mike Currie to appear before the committee was not unanimous.
In a move reminiscent of the 2005 Polar Foods inquiry, the Liberal majority on the committee blocked attempts by Opposition Leader Olive Crane Thursday to call the current and former deputy ministers of the department and bureaucrats who administered the Provincial Nominee Program to appear before the committee.
A similar situation happened in 2005 when public accounts was probing the Polar Foods controversy. The then-Conservative majority on the committee blocked the Liberal Opposition from calling shareholders of Polar Foods and top provincial bureaucrats to testify.
And on Thursday, the Liberal majority on the current committee was firm in its decision to summon only Brown and Currie to answer questions about the controversial PNP.
The Provincial Nominee Program offered expedited Canadian visas for immigrants who were willing to invest $200,000 in an Island company. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in P.E.I. through this program.
It ended on Sept. 2 of this year.
But a number of discrepancies with the administration of this program recently began surfacing.
That’s why public accounts should be questioning the actual program administrators, Crane told the committee.
“I am insistent that we bring not just the ministers, but the deputy ministers and especially the CEO of the program,’’ she said.
“There’s just so many questions to be asked. Just this week I received another anonymous brown envelope and quite frankly, in terms of the kinds of concerns people have on the program, they’re about the administration and I think we really have to bring everybody in.’’
But Government House Leader Robert Vessey insisted that only the ministers should have to speak to the issue.
“At the end of the day, the minister responsible is who’s in charge,’’ he said. “Start at the top, let them come in and explain it to us, to the committee.’’
Crane wanted to bring the Innovation Department’s current deputy minister Micheal Mayne, as well as former deputy Brooke MacMillan to testify alongside Brown. She also wanted the PNP’s co-ordinator Neil Stewart and other administrators to answer detailed questions about how the program was carried out.
But Vessey was forceful in his objection as was Liberal MLA Janice Sherry.
“Would it not be at the discretion of the minister to decide which bureaucrat would have the (knowledge) or the experience to discuss this (with) the committee?” Sherry asked.
In the end, the Liberal MLAs on the committee all voted against Crane’s request, voting instead for Vessey’s motion to summon only Brown and Currie for questioning.
“I think we have to give the minister a chance to defend his department and discuss this with the committee — he is in charge,’’ Vessey said.
When asked if the committee would consider calling in the deputy ministers and PNP administrators after hearing from Brown and Currie, Vessey was non-committal.
“We’ll have to see after we’re done with the ministers,’’ he said.
The Guardian is committed to encouraging intelligent discourse among our readers and to creating a forum where diverse views and opinions on a wide range of topics can be aired. The forum you are in now is a result of our continuing efforts to facilitate a dynamic online conversation among our readers.
This is a moderated conversation. Once a reader follows the steps to register and submit his or her comment it goes to a moderator for the website. Once it has been approved, your comment will be displayed on the website. A comment may be edited or deleted for reasons of content or language.
All readers wishing to join a conversation must first sign in and agree to the Terms of Usage, which explain the rules of acceptable content.
JD from PE writes: Can anyone smell a rat or a cover up here?
While this scandal maybe in some ways similar to Polar it is so much bigger it is scary.
How Government Members can sleep at night knowing what was done by their colleagues is mind boggling to me.
I am just wondering if ANY of these Government MLA's will stand up and demand the Premier call in the RCMP and the Federal Auditor General to look at this program and how it was administered and how the immigrants may have been scammed.
Whatever Government MLA does this will be an MLA for very long time. Because when the smoke settles from this scandal all of the Government MLA's we see today will NO LONGER be elected.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
jim Liberal from pei writes: I hope that Olive request the names of the companies, who received funding from the PNP. Which law firm was used the most and how many times? What borker was used the most and how many times.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
speedy from PE writes: Do all this mean we will never get to the bottom of another big screw up?
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
Brian from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island writes: I find it very fishy that they don't want all of the ministers and CEO also to be question about all of this. I can say for sure the only reason this is that they are scared because they know they have something to hide. So if i was you Olive Crane i would get a court order saying they have no choice to be questioned because this is a lot of money were talking about. OMG wait our justice system is so corrupt that this idea just wouldn't work for the government.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
yeah...right from PEI writes: So...the Liberal members of the committee are stalling the appearance of the adminstrators and deputy ministers...The same tactics the Liberals howled about when the Polar issue was front and center !
Open and accountable government...remember that pledge Mr Premier ? Guess where my X is not going in 2011.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
Political Hack from Summerside, PEI writes: Remember when the Liberals used to say $5000 clappers - now the shoe is on the other foot and the Liberals are protecting their own- if nothing to hide, why not let the bureaucrats speak. Hmm
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
Don't believe the Hype from PE writes: While I am of the belief that the PNP was, by large, a very successful and strong program, and I do not believe the wrongdoings here will be anyhwere near what we have seen with Polar Foods, I still have a very strong belief in the need to be transparent.
Deputy Ministers and CEOs are political appointments at the provincial levels. They are senior members of management and decision making teams, and likely know far more about the workings of the program than the ministers ever did or ever will. They must be called in to answer questions.
I do believe the buck stops at the top, and the Ministers should be held accountable, but it is necessary to speak to the senior bureacrats if we are going to have all the information to know exactly what they are being held accountable for.
And if there is one thing I have no time for from either side, it is hipocrasy. Olive Crane has no grounds to speak on to demand they call senior management when her party would not do the same during the Polar Foods fiasco. And shame on the Liberals for having her demand it. If she as much as hinted to it, the Liberals should have been volunteering to call these individuals after the decrying they did when the conservatives would not do such during the Polar investigation. This disrespect to the voter says more to the growing voter apathy than anything I could put to words.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
Mell from PE writes: We'll see how good their memories are after lining their pockets over the years with salaries, possible bonuses and good pensions. This immigration situation and programing needs a thorough investigation by an outside source not connected to the provincial government to make it more accountable.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
Charlie o from pe writes: I wonder how much these Liberal MLA`s got from the fund ,know wonder they don`t want to hear from the people in the know. Mr. Brown on radio already blamed the Deputy .
This committee should be made up of an independent Commission . They would get to the bottom of this wrong doing.
I am sure RCMP,Auditor General and Fifth Estate will put the blame in the right place. Remember $400 million since April 1st.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
TA from pei writes: The governing party wants to protect its butt and those of its friends. The opposition wants to make political hay. Who will come forward on behalf of all of us to find out the truth? The only way to the truth is to call ALL witnesses who have been in any way involved in this program.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
JD from PE writes: Is there one Liberal on this Committee have any sense of Right or Wrong.
Do the Liberals not want to get to the bottom of this are they all involved and were getting the Money.
I can't imagine in a growing scandal like this one that ALL the Liberal MLA's are willing to sacrifice their political futures to protect a few Bureaucrats and Liberal lawyers and accountants.
These MLA's make me wonder just how many of them had their fingers in the Immigrant Fund Pot.
Why don't they just have an Open a a transparent investigation and let the cards fall where they may.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
independant independant from charlottetown, pe writes: Well what a surprise. The liberal party said they were change, all we got is the same ol same ol.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
Concerned from pei writes: What a waste of everyone's time. The government majority on the committee is never going to call anyone who knows of or will admit to any wrongdoing. We saw this with Polar Foods - the party in power wouldn't let the committee interview anyone who knew anything and by the time they were out of power it was all swept under the table.
When will the general population revolt againest politicians who continue to line the pockets of their friends and themselves at the tax payers expense.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
Red Nex from PEI writes: Another sad day for the Taxpayers of PEI.
I want to know, and as a tax paying citizen, I have to right to know
Who got this money?
What MLA's got money?
I have no respect for this Conflict Commissioner, after the Ron MacKinley affair.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
remembervotingday from pei writes: Remember the people that blocked the inquiry from getting at the truth of this program on voting day. Lets get away from this, my grandfather voted liberal/conservative, so will I until the day I die. Hold people accountable for their actions and maybe, just maybe, things can actually change. Unless we change our voting patterns, things will never change.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
Wondering from PE writes: Last time I looked at the Website of the Attorney General, there were hundreds of fewers names of companies that had been incorporated since Arp/o8. About a month ago, there were over 2500, now it is down to 900 plus. Where did all the rest of the incorporated companies disappear to?
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
Don't believe the Hype from PE writes: Just to add a little reality to this:
What criminal event was commited? Just because money was funnelled in a way that is morally questionable, does not make it criminal. If you call the RCMP, you have to have some sort of sustainable CRIMINAL allegation. The RCMP won't look at this unless there is one. And just calling it fraud, does not make it criminal fraud.
The Auditor General has already stated he is investigating this. He does not need to be called in as JD states. And he can call anyone he likes, so we should eventually get a report without all the politics tied in.
Neither Olive Crane, no anyone else has the right to publish who got what money. It was not tax dollars, but investment dollars from private investors. It is protected by the Privacy Act. If anyone release information about which lawyers, brokers, business, ect, they would be sued. A few MLA's have come forwards stating their businesses received money, such as Bush Dumville. They should at least get a little recognition for coming forward. Hopefully the Auditor General does find that the ones who had the courage to come forward are the ones who did wrong.
Brian, it is a political commitee, not a court. They can't get a court order. Olive Crane is not a judge.
Personally, I suspect both current Liberal and former Conservatives received a good bit of dollars through this fund. And I have no problem with that PROVIDING.. none of the rules that govern who got money were broken. If MLA's business applied for funding and were not treated any differently than any other application, that is all I ask. If they used their position to gain access tot he funds, they should be held accountable.
My problem is the lack of transparancy and hipocrasy as I stated in a previous post. And if both parties are going to act the same when in government, maybe we need to change the government every 4 years. Complete changing of the guard until they learn. At least no one gets a fat pension that way.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
Summerside Hack from PEI writes: First time i heard my MLA speak since elected and now towing the party line instead of lobbying for her community; what are they protecting? one term
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
I.P . Nightly from pei writes: I certainly think that we should definitely know about any elected member, be they Tory or Liberal, that received money from this program. After all, my understanding of this program was to allow immigrants to invest in Island Businesses, you cannot put a privately owned business, whose owner , this is their only income on the same basis of an MLA who is earning a very good salary. I know of immigrant money that went to build a luxury cottage, which was supposed to be for rent, was it ever rented, NO. Then there is the money that went to buy the Yacht that was going to be used for charters, was it , NO, instead it was used between 3 families. Me, as a taxpayer, because it is looking like there is going to be taxpayer dollars used to either investigate this or pay out, I demand to know who got what, how much and for what.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
JD from PE writes: Don;t Believe the Hype....
What the public needs to be told is just how this program worked. Plus just what the Government's Involvement was.
They try to say at one point they are not involved than they tell us they got money from it. Plus tell us what happens if these Immigrants don;t get into Canada how do they get their money back.
Plus explain the fees paid to Lawyers and Accountants,
The problem with this is there are so many unanswered questions and rumours and the Government is saying nothing.
Plus just why and how were MLA's allwoed to access this program?
The problem is that the Ghiz Government is showing a complete LACK of LEADERSHIP on this file and the public is really starting to ask questions and they deserve HONEST ANSWERS.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
jean elmer from egmont, pe writes: This was a fine program that I support 100% Often immigrants are hard to please.
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
NOTE
The management of this site emphasizes that it is in no way liable for persons, physical or legal, who are hosted here. Moreover, the managers of this site may not be held liable for errors and omissions that may slip into the information displayed in these reader comments. Everyone who submits a comment should read, understand and agree to the Terms of Usage for this section.
1
