Paul Calandra

[Ethics, June 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, it was the Senate that invited the Auditor General in, and we expect all senators to co-operate with that.

At the same time, when Canadians go to work, they work very hard, they send their tax dollars here, and they expect all members of Parliament and senators to use their money appropriately. We have 68 members of the NDP caucus who have taken $2.7 million from the Canadian taxpayer illegally. They refuse to pay it back. The member for Scarborough Southwest owes $140,000. I hope they do the right thing and pay the taxpayer back.

[Ethics, June 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, of course, there is something called the Constitution.

We are the party that brought in a number of recommendations to reform the Senate. As members will recall, we actually wanted to see the senators elected and wanted to bring in term limits. On both of those, the NDP said they would not support those changes.

We brought that forward to the Supreme Court, and in its wisdom, the court has decided that the only way the Senate can be changed is through unanimous consent of all provinces and territories.

We are focused on the economy. We are not going to be getting into long, protracted constitutional negotiations. We will continue to focus on jobs and economic growth.

[Ethics, June 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as members know, this government brought forward a number of potential reforms for the Senate. Of course, those were looked at by the Supreme Court of Canada, and in its wisdom, it decided that the only way the Senate could be reformed would be with a unanimous decision of all provinces and territories.

At the same time, we know that the Senate has adopted some proactive changes to ensure better accountability. We look forward to that continuing in the Senate.

[Ethics, June 3rd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, when I campaigned in my riding, I campaigned openly and honestly about the things that I wanted to accomplish for the people of my riding. I never broke my word to my constituents like that member did, on the campaign trail saying one thing and then coming into this House and doing the exact opposite. In fact, he got caught and then tried to gerrymander his riding to get rid of the people he did not like so he could try to win his seat back. Now he is part of the crew that owes—

[Ethics, June 3rd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, they have already addressed the fact of senators' appointments. The practice has been clear on that for close to 150 years.

It is also very clear that it is against the rules of this House to use the resources of the taxpayers to fund partisan political offices. That is something that the NDP did. I am sure that taxpayers, those in the gallery and across Canada who are watching, are shocked to learn that the NDP is actually taking the taxpayers to court because it refuses to pay back the $2.7 million that it owes them. Instead, the New Democrats will be spending their summer in court refusing to pay it back. I hope they will do the right thing and pay it back.

[Ethics, June 1st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, it was the Senate that invited the Auditor General in to audit its expenses, and it insists that it will co-operate in this.

At the same time, it is also very clear that 68 members of the NDP caucus, unfortunately for taxpayers, will be spending their summer in court, squished into the defendant's box of the court, trying to explain why they refuse to pay back $2.7 million to taxpayers. The NDP has a troubling pattern of abusing taxpayer dollars. It used $2.7 million for offices and $1 million for mail-outs. Just pay it back.

[Ethics, June 1st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as I said on a number of occasions, constitutional practice with respect to the appointment of senators has been clear for almost 150 years. What is also clear is that it is inappropriate to use taxpayer resources to fund political party offices.

Now in the officegate scandal hatched out of the Leader of the Opposition's own office, some 68 members of the NDP are now on the hook for $2.7 million. In a very awkward twist, when the member for Burnaby—Douglas was asked last week how he would pay the $170,000 he owed, he said that it was not his debt, that it was the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley's debt because he was the House leader at the time. Therefore, they are busy throwing each other under the bus as opposed to paying.

[Ethics, June 1st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. It was the senators themselves who actually invited the Auditor General in to review their expenses. We expect that all senators will participate and co-operate in this.

At the same time, we know the NDP members have their own problems with respect to 68 members of Parliament who owe $2.7 million back to the taxpayer for illegal offices that they funded in contravention of the rules in this place. In fact, the member for Scarborough Southwest is on the hook for $141,000, and he should do the right thing and repay the taxpayer.

[National Defence, May 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, we have done just that. When serious deployments have been considered, our government has done so. Of course, we had a great debate with respect to the deployment of Canadian Forces in the fight against the jihadist terrorist regime, ISIL. We know that both opposition parties voted against that deployment.

We know that when it comes to protecting Canadian interests at home and abroad, the opposition will consistently vote against it. That is why they voted against the increases we have had to military funding. That is why they voted against the new equipment that we bought for the Canadian Armed Forces.

Canadians understand that when it comes to providing assistance and security, it is our government that they can rely upon.

[National Defence, May 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the member is quite right. It is this government that, for the first time, brought forward the responsibility to consult Parliament with respect to military deployments, and we have done that on a number of occasions.

Of course, we are very proud of the work that the Canadian Armed Forces are doing both at home and abroad, including in the Ukraine and in the Baltic states. We are very proud of the role of the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Baltic states. We have been at the forefront of providing assistance to the Ukraine, and we will continue to do that.