Paul Calandra

[Questions on the Order Paper, June 15th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the Privy Council Office is unable to produce the information requested in the timeframe allotted.

[Government Polling, June 15th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, talking about hanging his head in shame, this is the member of Parliament who was very happy to accept an extra $40,000 in salary when the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley was fired, but not the responsibility that comes with the office. When he was asked how he would repay the $189,000 he owed, he said, “No, no, no”, and then he went on to say, “Well, first off, Peter, these are figures that go for previous folks in the office.”

That is this man's legacy. Pay back the $189,000—

[Government Polling, June 15th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, there are so many things that are confronting this country and confronting the international community, but the member for Hamilton Centre thinks that this is the right time to hurl a comment about my hair.

Of all the members to be critical like a schoolyard bully, the member for Hamilton Centre thinks that is funny. While the little boys and girls over there play in the sandbox—

[Government Polling, June 15th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, this type of polling—

[The Senate, June 15th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as I already said in this question period, it was the Senate that invited in the Auditor General to review their expenses. He, of course, came forward with a report that showed some 30 senators in dispute, but at the same time, this side of the House has come forward with a report that shows some 68 members of Parliament with three times the amount. In fact, all 68 of those happen to be NDP members of Parliament. That particular member owes her constituents over $27,000, and I hope that member will do the right thing and pay her constituents back.

[Ethics, June 15th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is completely delusional if he thinks that Canadians will ever give him the opportunity to serve on this side of the House while he refuses to respect the fact that he owes them $2.7 million.

If Canadians cannot trust him to ethically manage his own office budget, there is no way they will ever trust him to ethically manage the budget of the entire country. I certainly hope it will not take 17 years for him to do the right thing.

[Ethics, June 15th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as members know, I have said on a number of occasions that it was the Senate that actually invited in the Auditor General to review their expenses. We expect them to work with and co-operate with that process.

At the same time, the Leader of the Opposition and 67 other members of his party owe the Canadian taxpayers $2.7 million. The Leader of the Opposition himself, personally owes $400,000 to the taxpayers of Canada. I hope he will do the right thing and repay that money.

[Ethics, June 12th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have turned their backs on that party for 16 straight elections. They have never, ever been given the confidence of Canadians to sit on this side of the House. I am very proud of the fact that Canadians have given us the confidence to sit on this side of the House, and I will continue to work everyday to do that.

This is a member who admits that he actually owes money, $189,000. He is refusing to pay it back. He might think that is funny; Canadians do not. They want the money back. Pay them $189,000.

[Ethics, June 12th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I will not defend anybody who deliberately misuses taxpayer dollars. I certainly will not get up in the chamber and defend that. That is why I think like Canadians think. I do not differentiate. Whether it is a senator or a member of Parliament, if they deliberately misuse taxpayer dollars, they ought to pay it back.

New Democrats owe three times as much as the Auditor General has identified in the Senate. They owe $2.7 million. The Leader of the Opposition owes $400,000 to the taxpayers of Canada, and he refuses to pay it back. He ought to do the right thing and pay it back.

[Ethics, June 12th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, it is just the opposite. At the same time as the Auditor General was revealing the expenses of senators, there was a report issued with respect to members of Parliament. What that report found was that 68 members of Parliament owed $2.7 million to the taxpayer. All of those 68 members happen to be sitting in the NDP caucus.

At a time when we were bringing in accountability to the House of Commons, they were finding a way to cheat and rip off the Canadian taxpayer and are now refusing to pay it back. They should pay back the $2.7 million they owe Canadians. It is the right thing to do, and they ought to do it.