Evidence of meeting #46 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was witnesses.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Given everything I've said, the relevance—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
I think you did ask a question to the witness. Your time is up, but I'm going to allow the witness to respond if he wishes.
As an Individual
I realize you guys are just going around the truth, trying to bypass and not coming straight to the point.
You can laugh, sir, because you guys are going to be crying later on.
One thing I want to tell you, sir, is that if it really was for a national issue, as you said, for advertising, do you think I'd want to use that $14,000 to do some publicity? But I didn't.
Coming to your point, those funny pens and pencils that you guys give out, I didn't have a budget for that. The only brochures I did, I paid for out of my pocket. I printed them at home with a printer, black and white. If we did have money, I think it would have gone a lot further than that.
But the issue here is that you guys are trying to hide that you know your days are counted.
Liberal
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Martelli, for your very clear and concise testimony. I assure you, don't be deterred by the smokescreen these guys are throwing up. Your moral compass is operating a lot better than the moral sextant that guides the Conservative Party of Canada, believe me. You seem to know the difference between right and wrong. To you, it strikes you as wrong to take $14,000 and pretend it was a local expense when in fact it was part of the national campaign's expense.
No amount of bafflegab is going to take the stink off what the Conservative Party has done in this election financing scheme. A stand-up guy like you is here to add some clarity to this, and I for one appreciate you being here and not falling for this kind of mischief that we're seeing over here.
This is the kind of thing that turns people off politics, Mr. Martelli, and I wouldn't blame you if you feel a little bit jaded after your experience as well.
As an Individual
The only thing I can say in my testimony here today is that I have nothing to hide, and I have nothing to lose compared to my counterparts here.
I'm sorry to say this, but you know, Mr. Harper is very strong. He comes to Quebec every 24th of June--he doesn't come before that--to say, hey, let's go for la fête nationale, bonne fête Québec. In general, he shows up only for special occasions. I remember that three other ridings asked him to come, and they were denied. There was me in Bourassa, Mr. Ercolano Pingiotti in St. Leonard, and another gentleman in Maisonneuve, who asked to have him come. He wasn't interested in coming.
As I said before, when I was tossed out I took my pill. I didn't say anything. I said, this is the way it's run and it's okay. I wouldn't have bothered to be here. But to get me involved in some of their schemes that they want to wash their hands of and pretend they didn't know about it or I didn't get 14.8%, I find that a bit low from you guys. I thought you would have done your homework, but that's not the case. You had your time to talk, and now it's my time.
The only thing I can say is that I'm very disappointed with the Conservative government. Laugh, sir--I appreciate that you laugh. It's really going to do you good, because you aren't going to be laughing for very long.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Mr. Martelli, Mr. Martin is posing some questions. Let's be attentive to the process here, please.
Mr. Martin, carry on.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I'm interested in your views. This was a party that ran on transparency, accountability, doing things differently, and taking big money out of politics. It seems that they had more money than they could spend legally, so they laundered it through some local campaigns and tried to pass it off--
As an Individual
Let me tell you something. In 2006 when we were supposed to get some of these ministers to come--I think it was Madame Verner--in all of the meetings they were saying, “Hey, we've got some money and we're ready to go back to elections.” It's funny that the other parties hardly had any money. How come these guys all of a sudden had this surplus of money? Don't make me believe it was through people buying memberships, because we did a sprint one night, and out of 100 people I called to renew their party cards, only one did.
Would you like to know where this was done?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Mr. Martelli, your comments should come through me, not to other members.
As an Individual
I respected them when they were talking, so I'd appreciate it if they'd let me talk too, please.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
I think everybody should appreciate that view and that process.
Mr. Martin, you have another minute if you have any further questions.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I'd like to give my time to Mr. Martelli, if he cares to conclude some of his thoughts.
Go ahead, please.
As an Individual
That's basically it, sir. As I said, if I really wasn't involved in this, why am I here? I didn't decide to come to Ottawa to talk to you gentlemen because it's a nice summer day. I came here to tell the truth, and as I said before, I don't think you gentlemen can handle it. That's all I have to say.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
First of all, Mr. Martelli, you should be commended for getting nearly 16% in an election, because not only does it appear that you had no support whatsoever; you were basically paying for most of your efforts through your own time and resources.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Were you surprised today to hear Mr. Del Mastro say that in terms of the city of Montreal you were not part of the regional so-called buy? In other words, the Conservative Party apparently did not support your candidacy in Montreal North.
As an Individual
To tell you the truth, we were left on our own in that county. As I said, there were only three of us running this. There was me, Mr. Brian Alexandrovitch and Mr. Alain Prenoveau. We put up signs and went door to door and in the shopping centre to promote.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
The big man from Montreal who appeared in Ottawa after the election is now Senator Fortier. Did he help you in the campaign?
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Yet an unelected person today is the main force of the Conservative Party in your city.