Information & Ethics Committee on Aug. 11th, 2008

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

I don't believe, sir, you have the right to carry on with my examination. If you want to do that, you can come and sit here and surrender your position as chair, but you can't ask for clarification of my questions. You don't have the right to do that. What are you doing up there?

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Thank you. That's not a point of order, Mr. Tilson.

The witness, Ms. O'Sullivan, was indicating to the chair that she wanted to respond to this rapid-fire—

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

No, it's not for you to ask questions. You don't have the right to do that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

No, it was clear that the witness did not have an opportunity to respond to the question. That was my decision. If you'd like to challenge my decision, sir, you can.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Chairman, we're going to have a real challenge.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Madam O'Sullivan.

[Louise O'Sullivan]

Mr. Szabo—

[An hon. member]

Bring in the security.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Order, please, order.

I think it's in the public interest that members have an opportunity to ask their questions and that our witnesses before us, properly sworn in, come here and have an opportunity to respond. We do have time limits for each session of questions, but it has been my practice, as the members well know, certainly not to cut off an answer or at least to allow witnesses to respond to a question that was posed to them. In my view, the witness did not have an opportunity to express her answer to the questions raised by Mr. Tilson, so I've offered to allow her a couple of moments to simply respond to what was posed to her by the honourable member.

Madam O'Sullivan, would you care to make a very brief comment in direct response only to what Mr. Tilson covered with you in the last questions he asked?

[Louise O'Sullivan]

My response to you, sir, and the committee is that I would have come here regardless of which party asked me to appear.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Thank you, madam.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Mr. Martin, please.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Order, order.

I'm sorry—

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Come on, this is getting ridiculous.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

We're going to carry on. Here is what I'm proposing.

In this round, we have Mr. Martin, Mr. LeBlanc, and Mr. Goodyear remaining, and I'm going to hear.... This is the end of the second round. Then as I had indicated to the witnesses, I'm going to offer to them, if they wish to take it up, an opportunity to make any closing remarks on any matter. I know you've come here to provide information, so if there is anything that you feel has not been covered or that you need to say, I will give you that opportunity before we adjourn this morning's session.

Mr. Goodyear has interrupted the proceedings on a point of order related to...?

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Actually, Mr. Chair, I think you've just answered my point. I was simply going to request, since time is running short, that we allow for another round, and I appreciate that you've already acknowledged that. That's not an interruption; that's just a point, and you've answered that, and I appreciate that.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

There is not another round, Mr. Goodyear. We're completing the round. We have to be clear on that.

Mr. Martin, you have five minutes.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you.

One of the most serious allegations in the affidavit and the file to justify the search of Conservative headquarters and the subsequent investigation by the elections commissioner and the Director of Public Prosecutions is the falsification of financial returns, the falsification of election finance documents, which in and of itself is a very serious offence.

I'd like to ask you, Mr. Fauteux, as an official agent, if you ever saw the invoice dated January 1 for $27,125 from Retail Media to Mr. Caldwell's campaign. Did you personally see that invoice?

[Réjean Fauteux]

No. The invoice that we received came from the Conservative Fund. There was one for about $33,000. If you like, I could take the time to look at it. There was another one for $3,900, for a total of $37,238.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I see. So the invoice from Retail Media never came directly to you. The invoice came from the Conservative Party headquarters, etc., and asked you to pay the $33,000. I think I understand that.

What financial arrangements were made? How did the party ask you...?

Well, first of all, how did the money come into the account of your campaign? Was it by cheque or by wire? And how was the money to be returned to the Conservative Party? Were you to wire it or to write a cheque for it?

[Réjean Fauteux]

It was a wire transfer. The money was placed in the account of the official agent and taken out again about 10 days later, because there was a problem with the transfer in returning the funds.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Were they specific that they wanted it done by wire and not by cheque?