Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What I have to say will be very simple. I'm going to speak slowly and the interpreter will have no trouble providing Mr. Poilievre with the English version.
I want him to understand that we are discussing the practices that led Elections Canada to raise certain questions and to challenge the expense return of a single political party, which happens to be the Conservative Party of Canada. Neither the New Democratic Party nor the Bloc Québécois nor the Liberal Party of Canada are at issue. Elections Canada has certain questions about returns submitted by official agents, signed only by members of the Conservative Party of Canada with regard strictly to the 2006 election. This involves certain candidates, members and ministers as well as their official agents. Some of them are from outside the province of Quebec, but I would say that the majority are from Quebec.
If Mr. Poilievre is wondering why our request concerned only the election of 2006 and did not involve any other political parties than the Conservative Party of Canada, the reason is quite simple. The questions, scrutiny and allegations that have arisen outside of Elections Canada are aimed strictly at the Conservative Party of Canada.
I am thinking of former candidates such as Mr. Jean Landry in the riding of Richmond—Arthabaska, Mr. Liberato Martelli in the riding of Bourassa, Mr. Gary Caldwell in the riding of Compton—Stanstead and Ms. Anne-Julie Fortier, who ran in another riding. Without going into detail, I have in mind certain members, ministers, and even the parliamentary secretary of the Prime Minister, Ms. Boucher, who is targeted by these allegations.
And so we want to clear this matter up and shed light on these allegations. If they are well-founded, what was done was totally improper. But if they are not, these people have to have an opportunity to give their side of the story and to clear their name.
I believe I was concise and specific enough for Mr. Poilievre to understand that we do not accept the amendment he wants to introduce. He is on a witch hunt. He's talking about the 1997, 2004 and 2006 elections as well as about all of the parties, whereas these allegations concern only one party in one election. Unfortunately for Mr. Poilievre, that party is the Conservative Party of Canada.
I will for these reasons be voting against Mr. Poilievre's motion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.