Paul Calandra

[Ethics, November 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as I said on Thursday, there are MPs in this House who are proud to be Canadian and proud to be Quebeckers. They always work to build a stronger Quebec and Canada. It is a shame that this hon. member does not have that same pride.

If he had the same pride, he would help us build a bigger, better, stronger Canada, community by community. What does that look like? It looks like the member for Brant, whose hockey night in Brantford raised over $100,000 for a local charity. The member for Yukon ran and raised $100,000 for juvenile diabetes. That is what building a—

[Ethics, November 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, honestly, we have Canadians across this country who are looking for work still. We have an economy that, despite the fact that it has grown by 2%, is still struggling. We are trying to make a lot of gains in a lot of different areas. The Minister of Employment and Social Development is seeking to bring in a new job grant program, yet the NDP member wants to know the last time a few people talked on the telephone.

We should forget about European free trade, forget about our troops in the field, forget about the equipment they need, but when was the last time we talked on the phone with someone? Is this the best they have? Between—

[Ethics, November 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, what we believe on this side of the House is that when somebody puts in an expense claim that they are not entitled to, they need to pay it back. That is very clear. These three senators, along with disgraced Liberal Senator Mac Harb, took money they were not entitled to. They need to pay that money back.

At the same time, there is a motion in front of the Senate that would bring this level of accountability for the Canadian taxpayers right now. That is what we need to have passed. It is the Liberals in the Senate and the NDP and Liberals in this House who are making victims out of these senators.

I say that they should stand up for the taxpayers and bring accountability.

[Ethics, November 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that it is only the Liberals in the House and in the Senate, and of course, the NDP, who want to make victims out of these three senators and former disgraced Liberal senator Mac Harb, the senator for Ottawa, who pretended he lived 102 kilometres away so he could collect the subsidy. They are the only ones standing up for these people.

We are standing up for the taxpayer. When the Prime Minister says he could not care less, he could not care less that they are going to stand in the way. He is going to make sure that taxpayers get the accountability they want, whether they are in the way or not.

That is the same with every member of this caucus. We stand up for the taxpayers now and tomorrow and always will.

[Ethics, November 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, what it is, as always, on this side of the House, is a question of principle. When it comes to Canadian taxpayers, we always, on this side of the House, put the taxpayer first. It is only the Liberals who get in the way of that and are fighting so hard to protect the status quo in the Senate.

There is a motion in front of the Senate right now that we suspend these three senators without pay. That is what Canadians want us to do. It is only the Liberals in the House and in the Senate who are standing in the way of that level of accountability. They are fighting so hard for the status quo. If only they would fight as hard for the taxpayers as we are, then these three senators would be out, they would not be paid, and Canadian taxpayers could have that accountability.

[Ethics, November 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I think Nigel Wright has been very clear in affidavits that have been filed before the court who he brought into his confidence with respect to this scheme. The Prime Minister has said that had he known, it would have in no way been allowed to happen.

At the same time, there is a motion in front of the Senate right now. It is a motion that would suspend these three senators without pay. That is what Canadians want us to do. They want the Senate to get on with it to suspend these three senators who accepted funds they were not entitled to. The Senate needs to get on with this. Senate Liberals need to get out of the way, and we need to suspend these three senators without pay.

[Ethics, November 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, let me just say this. I know how much people do not like to hear stories, but my parents came to this country in the late fifties. Until they both died, they were both extraordinarily nervous about speaking English. Although they could speak it very well, they spoke it with an accent. They were always nervous about that, right to the end.

On this side of the House, me included, I am learning French. I am doing the best I can, but at the same time, when we are being asked important questions, it is very important that we remain consistent and that the translation does not get mixed up or that members do not get a wrong answer because I am responding incorrectly.

I do not apologize for the fact that I am trying my best to learn French, but for all those people who are trying to learn another language--

[Ethics, November 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, again, the party did not pay the expenses of Senator Duffy. Nigel Wright repaid those expenses. The Prime Minister learned of that along with most of us, on May 15. That was inappropriate that Nigel Wright would repay those expenses. The Prime Minister has also been very clear that had he known, he would have in no way endorsed such a scheme. Nigel Wright is prepared to accept responsibility for his inappropriate actions.

Right now there is a motion in front of the Senate that would suspend these three senators without pay, and that is the accountability that the Canadian taxpayers are waiting for. We hope that the Senate will get back to that as soon as possible.

[Ethics, November 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, it is quite clear that the Conservative Party did not pay the expenses of Senator Duffy. Mr. Wright himself has said that he paid those expenses. He understands and knows that that was not appropriate. He is prepared to be accountable for that decision.

That is the version that I believe, and that is the version that Canadians also understand. At the same time, there is a motion in front of the Senate, which would suspend these senators without pay. That is also something Canadians want. I am hoping that the Senate will get to it and suspend these three senators as soon as possible.

[Ethics, November 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, again, on February 13, the Prime Minister spoke to the entire caucus, both the Senate and the members of the House of Commons, and explained to them that if they had any inappropriate expenses, they should repay those inappropriate expenses.

At the same time, that was when Senator Duffy came and tried to justify his inappropriate expenses. He was told that he needed to repay those expenses.

The Prime Minister learned on May 15, when it was reported, that, in fact, Senator Duffy had not paid that back; Nigel Wright did. The Prime Minister was also very clear that had he known that such a plan existed, he would have in no way allowed it to go forward.