A member is saying that might be worse for us, but so what. We are not afraid. Whether better or worse, what we want is the truth. There are not a dozen truths, but just one. We will get to the bottom of things precisely because we have a Prime Minister who has the courage of his integrity.
Some opportunists are saying that we would be well served by an election, but this is not true. What we need is to get to the whole truth. Then, if the opposition parties are agreeable, having seen the report, to let the people decide, then we will have no problem with fighting it out in an election.
We will do so knowing the truth, which will be unveiled in the Gomery report. Then, the people will make a decision; that is how it works in a democracy. But this cannot be done while trying to hide half the facts.
It is my conviction that we have to let Justice Gomery do his job. Each one of us has to assess the situation responsibly, with a view to improving the public service. That is what this is all about: we are all paying the price for credibility. We have to be respectful of the public service and the political parties and, if, in one instance, there has been abuse on the part of a small group, we will have to make sure that group is punished.
The public is right to want the culprits to be found. These days, the taxpayers are doing their taxes. As a matter of fact, I got a call from my accountant this morning, and I was not in a good mood either. Naturally, no one likes doing their taxes. But it is worse when we have the feeling that our money was misused.
It is therefore important to get to the bottom of this. If certain individuals have misused the public's money, it is imperative that they be punished. If the Liberal Party inadvertently received any of the money—this is not known right now—then, those involved will have to pay the price. We in the Liberal Party will face the consequences and return any amount we might have inappropriately received, down to the last cent.
It is not true that party officers had a hand in anything. I know them, and I have talked to them. They swear to me that they have not witnessed any misappropriation. These people do not get involved in politics to deal with gangsters. Volunteers do not go door to door, just to get themselves corrupted by small time profiteers. Come on now.
That is why one must not condemn all politicians. Efforts must be made to make the process better. If any action can be taken, I am convinced that, when Justice Gomery's findings are released, the current Prime Minister will be the first to implement any and every recommendation, because he does not compromise when it comes to integrity.
By jumping to conclusions, we are not doing justice to this process, nor are we being fair and equitable, nor are we respecting the mandate that was given to Justice Gomery. We have to wait and hear the other witnesses. We said the hearings would last until the end of May. These people must have something to say.
Our commitment is definite. I made it during the last campaign and I have repeated it since. Every penny obtained directly or indirectly by the Liberal Party through improper activities will be promptly reimbursed. The only thing I need to know is what Justice Gomery's conclusions are and the exact amount. Whatever amount he arrives at, we will accept it and we will reimburse the money immediately. We know that it is not easy for political parties, but we want to make sure that integrity is our top priority. It is the only way we can ask for the support of our fellow Canadians.
We do not need a trust account. What we need is a report from Justice Gomery. The day we get it, the money will be promptly reimbursed. You have my word on it, and the word of the Prime Minister and of all the members of the Liberal Party of Canada. Hundreds of thousands of members of the party in Quebec do not want to see their reputation besmirched because some scoundrels have abused their trust.