Thank you, Chair.
This reminds me of a teacher I had years ago who taught the art of rhetoric and the reframing of the debate. I think that's what we have in front of us.
Mr. Poilievre would have you believe that this is to be more open and to widen the scope. In fact, it's to shift the attention away from the Conservative Party. Just look at the Conservative Party's first response. Instead of being upfront and open, the party went to court. Why did they go to court? Well, let's take a look at that. I would think, and certainly in the ruling it was intimated.... It provides cover from being open and honest.
What's sad about that, Chair, is that this is the party that said they were going to be different; they were going to be open. I remember, at Bill C-2, with my colleague Mr. Martin, changing the Election Financing Act to take big money out of politics. We were hoping they would be different and consistent on this. That is not a partisan thing; it's not left-right. It's about being clean and clear about party financing and where the money is. I wonder what they knew about this whole scheme while we were debating transparency in politics. I really wonder.
So I can't fall into this trap. I will pledge, and our party will pledge, that we will open our books after we look at the investigation in front of us. We won't fall into the Conservative trap of making sure they're not looked at with scrutiny, with clarity, so we can follow up.
So I will not support the amendment, because I won't fall into this rhetorical trap of reframing the debate away from what needs to be done.
Listen, we remember Mr. Gomery's instructions to follow the money. That's what we're doing here, that's what we want to do here, and trying to cover oneself through a court action.... I would ask the Conservative Party to stand down from the court and allow us to look at it. If you have nothing to hide, then we can get on with the work, and Canadians can see that there is transparency,that there are clear rules for everyone to follow, and that this idea of spin-cycling things is not on. That's what Canadians want to see.
Chair, I pledge today that our party will open up our books after we investigate this party, and we will not fall into the trap of decoy. We will make sure that Canadians get answers about what happened in the recent election.
I guess we could go back to Sir John A. and investigate how many bottles of whiskey were being handed out, but that's not what Canadians are interested in. It's an interesting idea. We're talking about the last election, and it was this party that dined out for how long on cleaning up politics? We in the NDP have said that for a long time. We put forward amendments at Bill C-2 consistent with that.
If you would like to look at our books after we look at yours right now.... We did open our books, and apparently Elections Canada looked at yours as well and didn't like what they saw. That's what this issue is about. So please don't try to play decoy politics.
We can't support this amendment, and I think Canadians want us to get on with the job.
Thank you, Chair.