James Moore

[Ethics, May 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to have a New Democrat today of all days stand before the House in full sobriety and say that the NDP believes in defending taxpayers.

We know there are two NDP members of Parliament who have not filed and have not paid their taxes, one of them to the tune of $60,000. In fact, the revenue critic for the NDP is one of the people who did not pay taxes to Revenue Canada.

There are so many jokes that come to mind about the NDP that I do not know where to begin, but the fact is the NDP do not stand up for taxpayers as those members are showing by their own behaviour.

[Ethics, May 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, that is completely untrue. It was the Prime Minister who, last week, responded to questions. He is here this week to answer questions.

Back to the issue of the member for Papineau lecturing western Canadians about what western Canadians really want, it is really quite something. That is the same Liberal leader who said, “Canadians who only have the capacity to speak one of our two official languages are ‘lazy’”. These are these are the words of the Liberal Party.

Time and time again he takes potshots at the west and then comes to the House and pretends he is defending its interests. Western Canadians know better. That is why they have voted time and time again to re-elect Conservatives to ensure we are the government of our country.

[41st General Election, May 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, western Canadians do believe in accountability and that is why they threw out the Liberals in the last three elections.

It is a sad fact, but out of 36 seats in British Columbia, there are two Liberals. Out of all the seats in Alberta, there are zero. In Saskatchewan there is one. In Manitoba there is one.

Western Canadians understand what it is when they hear Liberal leaders say things like this, “Canada isn't doing well right now because it's Albertans who control our...agenda”. That is what the Liberal leader said.

Do not worry, western Canadians know accountability and they will hold him accountable for what he has been saying.

[Ethics, May 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, of course, the ethics committee is looking into this, as is the Ethics Commissioner, as is the Senate office of ethics, and that is where these matters will be addressed.

For the Liberal leader, it is kind of interesting to see him stand in the House and pretend as though he actually cares about Senate reform because he does not. He made so very clearly this weekend that he does not believe in Senate reform because “We have 24 senators in Quebec and there are only six for Alberta and British Columbia. That benefits us. It is an advantage for Quebec”.

All Canadians should be served by national institutions and the Liberal leader should stop dividing Canadians again and again over these matters.

[Ethics, May 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, what is NDP business as usual is to yell from the mountaintops about the need for reform but to not actually support reform when it is before the House of Commons.

We have legislation for Senate elections and legislation for term limits. Even the idea of abolishing the Senate requires a mandate from the Supreme Court to understand the mandate capacity of the House of Commons, which is what we have done. However, the NDP is even against that.

Again, if the NDP members believe in accountability, they will support these reforms. If they believe in standing up for taxpayers, the leader of the NDP will come clean on how many MPs are avoiding paying their taxes.

[Ethics, May 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is taking responsibility and showing accountability by moving forward with what we said we would do, which is reform the Senate. Moving forward with Senate reform is what Canadians want. It is what our government is doing.

If the Leader of the Opposition really believes in accountability, he would support those reforms of term limits and Senate elections. If he really believes in accountability, maybe he will tell this House how many more NDP MPs are not paying their taxes.

[Ethics, May 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of last week, the Prime Minister sent Canadians a clear message that we have to move forward with Senate reform. That is why we now have legislation before the House for Senate elections and term limits. We have also been in contact with the Supreme Court about a proposal for even more significant reforms.

If the Leader of the Opposition genuinely supports meaningful Senate reform, he should say so and support this bill today.

[Ethics, May 23rd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, it may surprise the member opposite to know that very good people can make very big mistakes, and I think that is what happened here.

[Ethics, May 23rd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we are not aware of any legal documents associated to a Duffy-Wright deal and Mr. Perrin can speak for himself, as he has through his own statement.

[Ethics, May 23rd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, it has not. Unlike under the Liberals in the Suharto affair, we do not tell the RCMP what to do. The RCMP operates independently.

Getting back to this central question, the Liberals are pretty stridently self-righteous on this issue. However, the Ethics Commissioner is looking into it, the Office of the Senate Ethics Officer is looking into it and the Senate committee is going to do a new report on it, so on this issue the facts will be found.

Before the Liberals throw stones, they have a glass house crashing around them, because there are three Liberal members of Parliament who were caught taking $175,000 in false housing claims. They are currently in this House. When are they going to pay back that money?