Paul Calandra

[Ethics, April 23rd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, Mr. Duffy is facing some very serious charges that stem from an independent audit and an RCMP investigation. These are in front of the courts, and it would be inappropriate to comment further.

At the same time, it is very inappropriate for the NDP to try to make a victim out of Mr. Duffy. He is not a victim; Canadians understand this. They also understand that it is inappropriate that the New Democrats utilized $2.7 million worth of taxpayer resources and funnelled it to an illegal office in Montreal. Canadians expect the New Democrats will pay back the $2.7 million they owe.

[Ethics, April 23rd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Duffy faces very serious charges. It is Mr. Duffy's actions that are in front of the court right now.

At the same time, there are 68 members of the NDP caucus, including the Leader of the Opposition himself, who stand accused of redirecting, inappropriately, $2.7 million worth of taxpayers' funds.

The Leader of the Opposition actually owes taxpayers $400,000. I would hope he would do the right thing and start to pay back that money.

[Ethics, April 23rd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, again, as I have answered on a number of occasions, the constitutional practice on this has been clear for almost 150 years.

It is disappointing now, of course, to see that the NDP members are trying to make a victim out of Mr. Duffy who faces very serious charges, charges that stem from an independent audit and an RCMP investigation.

At the same time, 68 members of the NDP face very similar types of indiscretions. Almost $3 million worth of taxpayers' money was redirected to illegal offices. I suggest they do the right thing and repay that money to the taxpayer.

[Points of Order, April 22nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot confirm whether or not he did actually pay for NDP offices in Montreal. I was referencing the former member for Trinity—Spadina, who actually did that.

As a result, I withdraw that accusation against the particular member and put it back onto the former NDP member for Trinity—Spadina.

[Ethics, April 22nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, what we are seeing again today is the Liberals trying to make a victim out of Mike Duffy. Mike Duffy is responsible for his actions and he is facing those actions in front of a court.

He is absolutely right that it is not the finest hour for Parliament when the members for Trois-Rivières, Honoré-Mercier, Jeanne-Le Ber, Pierrefonds—Dollard, Louis-Hébert, Gatineau, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, Hochelaga, Saint-Jean, Berthier—Maskinongé, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, Davenport, Drummond, and Trinity—Spadina are just part of the crew that owe $2.7—

[Ethics, April 22nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as I already said, the constitutional practice on this has been clear for nearly 150 years. What is also very clear is that it is against the rules of the House to use taxpayers' money for partisan purposes.

This particular member owes Canadian taxpayers $122,122 for illegal offices in Montreal. He is not alone of course. He is joined by the member for Scarborough Southwest who took it to a bigger level at over $140,000, not to be outdone by the Leader of the Opposition who owes taxpayers $400,000.

I suggest they pay it back.

[Ethics, April 21st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, this is a member who owes Canadian taxpayers more than $122,000. In fact, he owes them $122,122. He can repay the money that he illegally took from Canadian taxpayers by a money order. I am not sure if they take credit cards. I know he knows how to write cheques because he wrote 29 separate cheques to the separatist party in Quebec. I would encourage him to use one of these methods to repay the money he took illegally from the taxpayers of Canada.

[Ethics, April 21st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as I have already said, constitutional practice has been quite clear on this for more than 150 years.

However, what is also clear is that one is not allowed to use House of Commons resources for partisan political purposes.

Now, this member used more than $25,000 of House of Commons resources for political purposes.

The member for Scarborough Southwest took it to a different level. He took almost $140,000 worth of resources that would have been used in his constituency and funnelled it to an illegal office in Montreal.

They should pay it back.

[Ethics, April 21st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, again, as I just said and as the Prime Minister said, the constitutional practice on this has been clear for almost 150 years.

Mr. Duffy is not a victim here. I cannot believe, now, that the NDP is trying to suggest that Mr. Duffy is a victim. Is it because the NDP is accused of doing the exact same thing, pretending that it was hiring people to work in an office in Ottawa when, really, these people were being housed in Montreal, in a partisan office, using House of Commons resources, against the rules, accumulating $2.7 million worth of illegal expenses?

[Ethics, April 21st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the constitutional practice on this has been clear for almost 150 years, but what it suggests to me is that the member is actually trying to make a victim out of Mike Duffy. Mr. Duffy is not a victim here. He is accused, after an independent audit, after an RCMP investigation, and, ultimately, the Crown believes that he committed fraud. We will see what the court says on that matter, but I am very surprised, now, to hear the NDP trying to make a victim out of this senator accused of such serious crimes.