Debates of March 6th, 2012

41st General Election

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there we go. That is the athlete caught doped up on steroids laughing at the people who ran the race fairly. Conservatives think this is about winning at all costs, but this is about fraud and this is about cheating.

Let us go back to the facts. We know that the Conservatives gave over $1 million to RMG. This is the company that controls and operates the Conservative call list. This is the company that Tom Flanagan credited for the Conservatives' 2006 victory.

As the Elections Canada investigation expands, will the government come clean and tell the House what business it has been doing with RMG?

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, of course, we know that because the Conservative Party has been fully transparent in disclosing its expenses.

However, these exaggerated allegations demean millions of voters who cast legitimate votes in the last election. The opposition paid millions of dollars to make hundreds of thousands of phone calls. Before continuing these baseless smears, it should prove that its own callers are not behind these allegations.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, shifting the blame to others is the most pathetic attempt to evade the issue I have ever seen. The members opposite keep burying their heads in the sand and pretending that everything is just fine.

The truth is that Nipissing—Timiskaming is now under investigation by Elections Canada. The truth is that their friends are being subpoenaed left and right. The truth is that while the rest of the country is outraged over widespread, disgusting electoral fraud, this government is shrugging its shoulders and pointing the finger at others.

Are you finally going to listen to the indignation out there? Are you going to get rid of your broken record and start giving real answers?

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would remind the hon. member to address his questions to the Speaker and not directly to his colleagues.

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, these false allegations demean millions of voters who cast legitimate votes in the last election. The opposition paid millions of dollars to make hundreds of thousands of phone calls. Before continuing these baseless smears, the opposition parties should prove that their own callers are not behind these allegations.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, trying to prevent people from voting undermines the democratic process.

Why did RackNine receive a cheque from the government? Silence.

What did RMG do to get tens of thousands of dollars from the campaigns in Quebec? We do not know. Silence.

Why were payments to RackNine not declared in the Conservative campaign report in Guelph? Silence. We do not know.

Who is hiding behind Pierre Poutine and the thousands of fraudulent calls made during the last election campaign? Silence.

When we talk about electoral fraud, the Conservatives start shaking. What is this government afraid of? Why is it refusing to disclose everything?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, before continuing these baseless smears, the opposition should prove its own callers are not behind these allegations.

These false allegations demean millions of Canadians who cast legitimate votes in the last election. The opposition paid millions of dollars to make hundreds of thousands of phone calls. They are the ones who should be answering questions.

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if we have understood today's robo-answers correctly, robocalls are the norm for the Conservative Party.

After Fernand Coulombe, two other people contacted Le Devoir and said that they had been subject to aggressive solicitation. In all cases, the number used was reported for harassment. These people were harassed by the Conservative Party's fundraising arm, which, we should remember, has the same address as RMG in Toronto.

Are harassing calls the norm and are they recognized and supported by the Conservative Party?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

No, Mr. Speaker.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I will quote part II.1 from the report of the Chief Electoral Officer following the 40th general election, which states:

[The] Chief Electoral Officer does not receive any documentary evidence of the expenses reported in the election expenses return. Nor does the Act provide the Chief Electoral Officer with the authority to request that a party provide such evidence. Therefore, he has no means to verify the accuracy of the reported expenses on which the reimbursement is based.

We, in the opposition benches, voted to give the Chief Electoral Officer that power. The government said “no”. Why?

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party is assisting Elections Canada. We have already indicated that we will make all documents in this regard available to it. However, these exaggerated allegations demean the millions of voters who cast legitimate votes in the last election.

The opposition paid millions of dollars to make hundreds of thousands of calls. This fact is not in question. What is in question? Before continuing these baseless smears, those members should prove their own callers are not in fact behind these reports.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the member needs to know that this has to stop. There is a legitimate, separate question being asked here. The government has an obligation to provide an answer about why it denied the Chief Electoral Officer the power he requested to ensure that everybody in here was telling the truth.

Every province in the country has given that power to their chief electoral officer, but the Government of Canada is refusing to give the federal Chief Electoral Officer these powers. I ask this again: defend yourself. Why are you denying the Chief Electoral Officer the right to have the—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. I would like to remind that hon. member as well to address his comments through the Chair and not directly at his colleagues.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I have no idea why you would do any such thing. Let us be clear. The former chief electoral officer, Jean-Pierre Kingsley, has said that Elections Canada does have all the investigative ability and authority that it requires in this matter. This is yet another example of exaggerated allegations, which demean the millions of voters who had cast legitimate votes in the last election.

What is clear is that the opposition paid millions of dollars to make hundreds of thousands of phone calls. Before continuing these baseless smears, those members should prove their own callers are not behind these reports.

Finance

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this government is making very bad decisions. Yesterday, the Quebec premier said that this government is making unilateral decisions on an unprecedented scale and without consultation. The prison bill will cost Quebec taxpayers $600 million. The Conservatives want to download irresponsible expenditures onto the provinces.

Why must Canadian families always pay for the Conservatives' bad decisions? Why not put people first for once?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government's financial support for the province of Quebec has reached unprecedented levels. Transfers to Quebec will be more than 44% higher than under the Liberal government. We have clearly indicated that the increases will continue. Our government has done its part, and we expect the Government of Quebec to also make an effort.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing responsible whatsoever about balancing the books on the backs of the provinces.

The Conservatives' costly prison bill will cost the people of Ontario an extra $1 billion. That is more money for prisons, less resources for health care and services that families need. Why do they think taxpayers in Ontario, Quebec, in the west and Atlantic Canada should pay for their irresponsible choices? Why do they not put Canadian families first for a change?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, when we are talking about federal support to Ontario, it is at an all time high in the history of this government. In fact, we have increased their transfers by 77% from what the Liberal government used to provide. We have said that these increases will continue, but the McGuinty government clearly has a fiscal problem.

We have done our part. We expect the McGuinty government to do its part as well.

41st General Election

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in Guelph it was the Quebec Street Mall. In Kingston voters were misdirected to St. Joseph's Church. In Saanich—Gulf Islands it was St. John's United Church. In Sydney, Cape Breton a voter was misdirected to New Waterford, 30 kilometres away. Even the member for Windsor—Tecumseh was misdirected to St. Anne's Church.

This could not have been one lone Conservative rogue in Guelph. This required collaboration and resources across Canada. This is a pattern of voter fraud that simply cannot be denied.

Will the Conservatives now provide their phone logs and scripts?

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we have indicated that we will make all of these materials available to Elections Canada and assist it in any regard. However, these exaggerated allegations demean millions of voters who cast legitimate votes in the last election.

The opposition has in fact paid millions of dollars to make hundreds of thousands of phone calls. Before continuing these baseless smears, those members should prove their own callers are not behind these reports.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it bears repeating. There is no actual evidence of any expenses of RackNine in the Conservative campaign in Guelph.

The deputy program manager for that campaign, Mr. Andrew Prescott, says the reason is because it is covered in part of the $1,100 in personal billing expenses that he sent out.

We know that this is against the Canada Elections Act. Why does the government not save us time and shed some light on exactly what happened in Guelph.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, we have been made aware of an Elections Canada investigation in the riding of Guelph, and we are assisting Elections Canada in this regard.

What is alleged to have happened in Guelph is unacceptable. Our records are always available to Elections Canada.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, former employees of RMG in Thunder Bay have told the police that they were instructed to lie to voters and give out false polling locations. RMG is the largest Conservative Party call centre firm, doing $1.3 million in contracts to candidates and countless millions to the national campaign.

What will the government do to ensure that Elections Canada and the RCMP have full access to all scripts, phone records and recordings in the custody of RMG and that the Conservative Party will comply fully with this investigation?

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I have great news for the member. In fact, I feel like I am repeating myself.

The Conservative Party will assist Elections Canada and make all of these materials available. However, these exaggerated allegations demean millions of voters who cast legitimate votes in the last election.

The opposition paid millions of dollars to make hundreds of thousands of phone calls. Before continuing these baseless smears, those members should prove their own callers are not in fact behind these allegations.