Information & Ethics Committee on Aug. 12th, 2008

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to come back to Mr. Lowry again, if I could.

Mr. Lowry, it may surprise you to learn that I've been elected since January 23, 2006, and since that time I've never been to the Conservative Party head office—never. So I can say the Liberal Party has been there more than I have been. I don't know how they knew to go there, but the chair's question is a little bit strange, considering that I don't even know where it is in Ottawa. I understand it's not far, but I have never been there. I've never had any cause to go.

Have you ever worked on the national campaign? Have you ever been part of the national campaign team, kind of the war room that works here in Ottawa?

[Douglas Lowry]

No.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

So in regard to the questions he's asking you about, you don't really know a great deal about them, do you?

[Douglas Lowry]

Well, I know of the national team, and I know that a number of people have been through Trinity--Spadina who have been on these various campaign-type things. That's where they go.

My riding has a wonderful array of talent. There's great talent. But during campaigns, we split across Canada in order to help the party in general and then come back.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

I just want to say a couple of things to you.

First of all, I think you can be very proud of a couple of things. You never broke any law. You did not. In fact, even the Chief Electoral Officer of Elections Canada, Mr. Mayrand, came in and said we're really just discussing a different interpretation. They have a different interpretation of the law than we do. Our interpretation happens to be the same as the opposition parties, the members of the jury here at the kangaroo court, but it's somehow different from Election Canada's interpretation of the law.

I would like to ask you a question, if you're aware, and maybe you'll follow this a little bit.

One of the things that happened to me in the last campaign--and I'll never forget it--was that I was at my campaign office and a woman walked up to me. She was probably close to 80 years old. She walked from the other side of town to give $20 to my campaign. I'll never forget it as long as I live.

The Conservative Party has been pretty successful in raising money, haven't they?

[Douglas Lowry]

Extraordinarily successful.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

And that's because people believe in the Conservative Party and what we stand for, isn't it?

[Douglas Lowry]

Yes, and we have a system in place that really helps.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

So based on people like this senior lady who came and gave money to me, the Conservative Party had money to invest into ridings, didn't they?

[Douglas Lowry]

That's correct.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

They helped candidates out, like the ones in Trinity--Spadina?

[Douglas Lowry]

That's correct.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

And there's nothing wrong with that, is there?

[Douglas Lowry]

That's the great thing about them in the party.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

When you signed up to be on a campaign team, you kind of thought the national party might actually know that you were there, right?

[Douglas Lowry]

Well, they know that we're there, but they don't spend that much money, though.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

No, exactly. But you do expect them to know that you're there and that you're working for them, and that you're standing for the high principles that the party stood for in the last election.

[Douglas Lowry]

That's correct.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Exactly.

Do you know how far the riding of Toronto--Danforth extends east?

[Douglas Lowry]

I think it goes to about Jones Avenue, or something like that.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Jones Avenue?

[Douglas Lowry]

Yes.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

It wouldn't come to Lock Street in Peterborough, or George Street in Peterborough?

[Douglas Lowry]

No.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Can you explain to me how Jack Layton's signs were on those streets?