Foreign Affairs Committee on April 30th, 2013

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Or other organizations. Do you have any other organizations?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

We have no intention of withdrawing from the OSCE. I'm very happy to clarify that to you directly.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

You don't have any other intentions?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

There's nothing on the books. We're always looking at—for the Canadian taxpayers' dollars, the money that goes to an organization—whether we are getting value for the money. It's obviously a lot easier to just sit and say that it's only $350,000—

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

No, I understand that—

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

—I know this organization is useless, I know it hasn't done anything in years, but....

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

I understand that, Minister.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars is a lot of money from hard-working taxpayers.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

I think we have heard from very serious and various sources that Canada was intending, to the dismay of a lot of people, to withdraw from the OSCE.

But let's move on to another subject.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Who told you that?

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

I—

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

You're making it up. Who told you?

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

No, I'm not making it up.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Tell me who told you.

[A voice]

She doesn't make stuff up.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

I don't make stuff up.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Just tell me who told you that.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

No, I won't tell you.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

I'm telling you we're not—

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Let me—

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

—but you say, “Oh, lots of people.”

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Not lots of people.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Lots of people tell me that the NDP is going to raise taxes.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!