Paul Calandra

[Ethics, May 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, this is before the courts, so we will allow the courts to do their job on this.

At the same time, I was wondering if the Liberals could help us in finding that $40 million they owe Canadian taxpayers. I wonder if, while they were sitting around in the $2-million home of the leader of the Liberal Party, at the kitchen table, trying to figure out how to relieve Canadians of their hard-earned tax dollars, they perhaps thought that a way of helping the middle class would be to find the $40 million they stole from them. Perhaps they could start by doing that.

[Ethics, May 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, what an absolutely ridiculous question from the Leader of the Opposition. What the reality is here is that this is in front of the courts, and we will let the courts do their work.

At the same time, the NDP could show some leadership by reimbursing the Canadian taxpayer the millions of dollars it owes them. The member opposite, the Leader of the Opposition, owes over $400,000 to the taxpayers of Canada, and 67 of his other members owe the rest. I suggest that they pay back the $2.7 million they owe them.

[Ethics, May 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I have already answered that question.

What is also before us right now is the fact that there are some 68 members of the NDP caucus who owe over $2.7 million to the Canadian taxpayer, plus interest, for illegal offices in Montreal. There are also another 23 members of the NDP caucus who illegally spent over $1 million in inappropriate mailings. That is a party that accepted illegally $350,000 worth of union donations, and in contravention to the rules of this chamber has a union member working in the Leader of the Opposition's office doing partisan work. He ought to repay the money he owes taxpayers.

[Ethics, May 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I already answered that question. The matter is before the courts. It would be inappropriate to comment any further.

However, there are other questions. For example, why did the member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord funnel resources intended for his riding to an illegal office in Montreal? I hope the member will do the right thing and pay the people of his riding back that $30,000.

I hope he will do the right thing and refund the $30,000 he owes them.

[Ethics, May 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I just answered that question. Again, questions with respect to a Senate audit are best addressed by the Senate. However, as we have been doing right from the beginning, we will continue to provide assistance to the Crown in its case against Mr. Duffy.

The Leader of the Opposition could certainly provide assistance to the taxpayers of Canada if he would encourage the 68 members of his caucus who owe over $2 million to the Canadian taxpayers to pay that back. That would be wonderful. He could start by showing leadership by reimbursing the Canadian taxpayers the $400,000 he owes them in illegal funding for an office that was illegal in Montreal.

[Ethics, May 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, questions with respect to a Senate audit are best addressed by the Senate. We have been providing, and will continue to provide, assistance to the Crown in its case against Mr. Duffy.

This matter is before the courts, so it would be inappropriate to comment any further.

[Port State Measures Agreement Implementation Act, May 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, if I understood correctly, the NDP will be supporting this bill, so I congratulate him on that.

I want to ask him a question on a separate but I think related topic, because he touched on it somewhat in his words. Under the previous Liberal government, there was the complete destruction of the ability of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard to respond to a number of issues on either coast. We have embarked on a national shipbuilding strategy, which would renew the fleets of both the Royal Canadian Navy and the Coast Guard. A large part of this is the reconstruction and rebuilding of yards on both the east and west coasts, potentially very close to the member's riding.

I wonder if he might comment on how important it is that we get these vessels completed and on the importance of these vessels not only in securing our borders from illegal fishing but in helping to improve the local economies of British Columbia and our Atlantic provinces.

[Ethics, May 6th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as I already said, this matter is before the court and so it would be inappropriate to comment.

However, there are other questions. For example, why did the member for Québec funnel nearly $30,000 that was intended for her riding to an illegal office in Montreal?

I hope that the member for Québec will do the right thing and pay the people of Quebec City back that $30,000.

[Ethics, May 6th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, again, it would be, obviously, inappropriate to comment on evidence that is before the court.

However, when the member talks about a sorry son of a gun, it is actually NDP members who owe Canadian taxpayers, 68 of them, $2.7 million. Another 23 of them owe over $1.1 million.

We know that the leader of the opposition has, within his own office, a union member doing partisan work against the rules of this House. The NDP accepted $350,000 in illegal union donations, robocalls, and it goes on and on. Pay it back.

[Ethics, May 6th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the constitutional principle on this has been clear for almost 150 years. As members know, the case is before the courts. It would be inappropriate to comment on evidence before the court.

At the same time, we know that the leader of the opposition is just one of 68 members of the NDP caucus who owe $2.7 million. The leader of the opposition himself owes taxpayers $400,000.

I would encourage him to actually pay that $400,000 and encourage the rest of the members to do the same.