Mr. Chair, you will have understood that I was responding to charges from the member for Nepean, who was here at our last meeting, when I did not have a chance to speak.
All Bloc Québécois candidates, in a fair and equal manner, had indeed provided money to the National Secretariat. If all ridings provide the same amount; this practice is legal. We collected these amounts in each committee democratically, $5 at a time. The sovereignty movement is mainly funded through membership cards. Our funding is based on our membership, our activism and our fervour, and not on the wealth of a few major corporations supporting a party which will someday hold office and that they will be able to lobby in the future. That is the difference when it comes to the Bloc Quebecois's in and out.
All candidates have, fairly, taken money from their riding association to send it to the National Secretariat. Faced with a practice that is this fair and acceptable, Elections Canada reimbursed us. Elections Canada never challenged our expenses. No one exceeded his or her limit, especially not our National Secretariat nor riding associations. That is the difference between a party which benefit from the wealth and power of large corporations supporting it and a party like the Bloc Quebecois, which is too poor but receives popular support and appeals to activists.
We are talking here about public office holders. As you know, the Bloc Quebecois has no public office holders within its ranks and will never have any in Ottawa. Under the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics mandate includes:
(vi) the proposing, promoting, monitoring and accessing of initiatives witch relate to access to information and privacy across all sectors of Canadian society and ethical standards relating to public office holders....
It is not the Committee mandate to access the Canada Elections Act but rather the ethics of public office holders. That is what we are attempting to do in the case of your exceeding your election's limits.
Certain people said earlier on that I was trying to use dilatory tactics in upholding my francophone's rights and requesting documents and both official languages. This accusation was made by a person who, before we had even open our mouths, had called for the adjournment of our meeting. There should be regulations against people acting in bad faith. It would be rather useful and help us cast aside certain types of argument.
Mr. Chair, I would like to tell Mr.Goodyear that ethical matters are not settled before the courts, but within this committee, as stated in the Standing Orders. This is not about comparing one party to the others, but about dealing with a party's ethical issue.