Paul Calandra

[Ethics, October 25th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, he is referring to the exact same documents that we are referring to. The Prime Minister was very clear on this. He responded to this as well in July.

What is very clear is that the opposition needs to come on board, especially the opposition Liberals, and pass the suspension in the Senate immediately.

What is also clear is that the Prime Minister said to Senator Duffy that if he had inappropriate expenses, he had to repay those expenses. It was very clear. There can be no ambiguity about that. If he incurred an expense to which he was not entitled, he had to pay it back.

[Ethics, October 25th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, we have been entirely consistent. Nigel Wright, in his own filings, identified the people he brought into his confidence with respect to this issue.

However, it is also clear that when Mike Duffy approached the Prime Minister with respect to his inappropriate expenses, he was told clearly and concisely to repay any expenses to which he was not entitled. He talked to us in caucus and he talked to senators and to the senior staff and to the MPs, making it quite clear to the rest of us not to accept payment for expenses we did not incur, and if we did to make it right. If we did not, we would not be sitting as a Conservative in this caucus.

That is the standard they should accept.

[Ethics, October 25th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that the Prime Minister has been actually very clear and concise on this matter. Nigel Wright, in his own filings, expressed whom he brought into his confidence on this matter. The Prime Minister spoke about this in July when he was asked this question.

However, what is also clear is that when Senator Duffy approached the Prime Minister to try to justify his inappropriate expenses, the Prime Minister told him he needed to pay back any inappropriate expenses he did not incur. What the Prime Minister said to Senator Duffy is very clear: he should back the expenses that he was not entitled to.

I wish that the opposition, especially the opposition Liberals, would get on board with us and pass the suspension of the senators and stop obstructing that motion in the Senate.

[CIBC Celebration of Hope, October 25th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by giving my congratulations to the CIBC Celebration of Hope luncheon committee from my riding of Oak Ridges—Markham for over 25 years of successful events.

This year's event will take place this Sunday, October 27, in support of Markham Stouffville Hospital. This luncheon brings community together to educate and create awareness for breast cancer and the people it affects.

I would like to recognize and congratulate the co-chairs, Karen Gerrard and Christine Taylor, as well as the event's host, Erin Davis and her co-host, the one and only, Allan Bell. Their selfless commitment to the community is something to be honoured and celebrated.

Efforts like the CIBC Celebration of Hope luncheons are evidence that Canadians will continue to play a leading role in creating a future without breast cancer, indeed, all cancers.

[Ethics, October 24th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I think the real issue here that Canadians are expecting us to talk about is the fact that on February 13 the Prime Minister was very clear to Senator Duffy that he repay any inappropriate expenses that he had incurred. That is the real issue that Canadians are talking about.

They are also talking about the need to reform the Senate. We need all parties in the House to come on board with us to reform the Senate, to bring accountability to the Senate, and more importantly, to bring an elected Senate with term limits. I hope the leader of the Green Party will assist us in that endeavour.

[Ethics, October 24th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister just said, on February 13, he instructed Senator Duffy to pay back any inappropriate expenses that he had incurred. Mr. Duffy, in fact, went on TV and claimed that he had done just that by mortgaging his home.

We hear this from a member of the Liberal Party. We are still looking for the $40 million that had gone missing.

What Canadians know is this: When it comes to respecting taxpayers' dollars, they can trust this Prime Minister and this party to make sure that those dollars are respected.

[Ethics, October 24th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, again, the Prime Minister was very clear. On February 13 he was approached by Senator Duffy. He told the senator that he had to pay back any inappropriate expenses that he had incurred. At the same time, the government has put forward and the Senate has put forward a number of accountability measures with respect to senators' expenses. Right now in the Senate we have further measures to protect the Canadian taxpayers, and it is the Liberal Party that is blocking those attempts to see that Canadian taxpayers are protected. That is the lack of leadership that we have come to expect from the Liberal Party, and of course we always expect that from the NDP.

[Ethics, October 24th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the relevant fact here is that on February 13, when Senator Duffy approached the Prime Minister to try to justify his inappropriate expenses, the Prime Minister was very clear to Senator Duffy that he should repay any inappropriate expenses he had. It was very clear.

At the same time, contrast this to the lack of leadership of the Liberal leader who is prepared to invite back disgraced Liberal senator Mac Harb into his caucus, or the failed leadership of the leader of the NDP who waited 17 years to tell authorities that he was offered a bribe.

Canadians know who they can trust with public finances, and that is this Prime Minister.

[Ethics, October 23rd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has said quite clearly that he answered all the questions available to him with the information that he had available. Mr. Wright, at the same time, has accepted full responsibility and sole responsibility for this. We are assisting in the investigations.

At the same time, as the Prime Minister said, we expect all parliamentarians to not only follow the letter of the law but the spirit of the law, and not accept expenses that are inappropriate.

[Ethics, October 23rd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I think the Prime Minister has been very clear today. He has answered all of the questions put forward to him.

What was very clear is that when Senator Duffy approached the Prime Minister about his inappropriate expenses, the Prime Minister told him to repay those expenses.

What happened yesterday is that Senator Duffy could have gone into the Senate, accepted responsibility for what he had done, and said “Sorry”, but he chose not to do that. Instead he chose to defend the fact that he had accepted inappropriate expenses.

We have the leadership of the Prime Minister, who said that we should not only accept the letter of the law but also the spirit of the law.