M. Robert Goguen (secrétaire parlementaire du ministre de la Justice, PCC): Monsieur le Président, le ministre de la Justice a demandé un conseil juridique externe à un ancien juge de la Cour suprême sur les critères d'éligibilité des juges de la Cour fédérale pour la Cour suprême du Canada. Cet avis juridique a été examiné et a reçu l'appui d'un autre ancien juge de la Cour suprême, qui a également été appuyé par un éminent professeur, spécialisé en droit constitutionnel, et cet avis a été rendu public. Tous les experts ont convenu qu'il n'y avait aucun fondement à la position de la Cour suprême et que, essentiellement, la dissidence du juge Moldaver devrait primer.
M. Peter Julian (Burnaby—New Westminster, NPD): Monsieur le Président, la juge en chef mérite mieux que ces attaques.
The Chief Justice states she did not try to contact the Prime Minister while the matter was before the courts, but in an unprecedented and frankly petulant statement released late last night, the Prime Minister's Office implies that the Chief Justice did just that.
This statement from the PMO was clearly inappropriate. Will the Prime Minister explain why he has launched this attack on the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and will he stop his inappropriate, petulant attacks?
Mr. Robert Goguen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC): Mr. Speaker, it is a known fact that the Chief Justice did try to contact the Prime Minister during the selection process.
On the advice of the Minister of Justice, the Prime Minister was advised not to take a call of this nature since it would be inappropriate during the selection process.
The Minister of Justice and the Prime Minister both agreed the call was inappropriate. Neither the Prime Minister nor the Minister of Justice would ever take a call on something that would be before the courts or might tentatively even be before the courts.