mackay_0Fascinant!

Le ministre Peter MacKay a payé 175 000$ pour sonder les Canadiens sur la prostitution. Depuis, il se débat comme un diable dans l’eau bénite pour ne pas donner les résultats. Le libéral Sean Casey publie dans le Huffington Post le verbatim officiel des réponses (?) de Peter MacKay.

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There is a $175,000 poll the Harper government commissioned seeking the actual views of Canadians about prostitution. Peter MacKay has steadfastly opposed releasing the contents of that poll, despite the fact that the information contained might have been helpful to the Justice Committee’s deliberations.

Sean Casey
Liberal MP for Charlottetown, P.E.I.

At the parliamentary hearings last week, I once again asked Minister MacKay about this poll. Here is the official parliamentary record of that exchange:

Monday July 7, 2014

Mr. Sean Casey:
I want to come back to Madam Boivin’s question with respect to the $175,000 survey or poll that was done by Ipsos Reid. You have indicated that we’re going to be able to see it once these hearings are over.

Mr. Minister, you have the power to allow us to see that sooner, do you not?

Hon. Peter MacKay:
The survey itself was not particular to this question of prostitution only, and so there is a normal six-month time period that is invoked for when that polling information will be released.

I should note for the record, Mr. Casey, that you’re aware there have been other surveys done and other polling information available that has been released or is in the public domain.

I also want to provide a correction. I said there will be a technical bill presented to the committee. There will be a technical paper that was produced by the department, and that technical paper is available in French and English. I’m informed that it will be tabled with this committee by leave, and it will be provided to you so that you will have it for your deliberations this week.

Mr. Sean Casey:
Mr. Minister, do you have the power to abridge the time in which we see this $175,000 Ipsos Reid survey? Do you have the power to give that to us before we examine all these witnesses?

Hon. Peter MacKay:
There is a six-month timeframe that we will respect.

Mr. Sean Casey:
So you have the power, but you’re deciding not to exercise it?

Hon. Peter MacKay:
I didn’t say that. I said we’ll respect the six-month timeframe.

Mr. Sean Casey:
Do you have the power to abridge it?

Hon. Peter MacKay:
We’ll release it when the six-month timeframe is up.

Mr. Sean Casey:
Is that a yes or a no?

Hon. Peter MacKay:
We’ll release it when the six-month timeframe is up, Mr. Casey.

Mr. Sean Casey:
You won’t tell me whether or not you have the power to abridge it, but if you do, you’re not going to exercise it.

Hon. Peter MacKay:
What I’m telling you is that you’ll have the information when the six-month period is up.

Mr. Sean Casey:
Mr. Minister, I requested that Ipsos Reid appear as a witness before this committee, but they’re not on the witness list. Did your office have anything to do with that?

Hon. Peter MacKay:
Absolutely not. We don’t control the witness list. That’s entirely within the purview of the committee.

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As it turns out, that poll the Conservatives refused to release was leaked yesterday. The Toronto Star article wherein the details of the poll are exposed help shed some light on MacKay’s reluctance to share his findings with the committee.

It is very clear why the Conservatives didn’t want the Ipsos Reid survey made public before the Committee hearings concluded last week. They suggested that Canadians were overwhelming opposed to prostitution, when in fact, people were very much split on the subject.