Information & Ethics committee  I would like to thank you all for accepting me here today to give my side of the story. When I was convinced to come here, I was talking to a friend of mine. I was surprised that Monsieur Jean Landry wasn't asked to come to this commission too. But that's the committee, sir. As I said, I'd like to thank the gentlemen here who are being nice.

Information & Ethics committee  None at all, sir. Maybe the occasional Christmas card at Christmas time. That's basically it.

Information & Ethics committee  I'm sorry, sir.

Information & Ethics committee  To tell you the truth, we were left on our own in that county. As I said, there were only three of us running this. There was me, Mr. Brian Alexandrovitch and Mr. Alain Prenoveau. We put up signs and went door to door and in the shopping centre to promote.

Information & Ethics committee  Not at all, sir.

Information & Ethics committee  We didn't have any help whatsoever.

Information & Ethics committee  I respected them when they were talking, so I'd appreciate it if they'd let me talk too, please.

Information & Ethics committee  That's basically it, sir. As I said, if I really wasn't involved in this, why am I here? I didn't decide to come to Ottawa to talk to you gentlemen because it's a nice summer day. I came here to tell the truth, and as I said before, I don't think you gentlemen can handle it. That's all I have to say.

Information & Ethics committee  Exactly.

Information & Ethics committee  I'd like to thank you all. Thank you for letting me come here and say what I had to say honestly. As I said, I'm still disappointed with you gentlemen and a whole lot of people in Montreal North and some other ridings too.

Information & Ethics committee  Do you want the truth? Do you think you can handle it?

Information & Ethics committee  Do you think you can handle it, sir?

Information & Ethics committee  I realize you guys are just going around the truth, trying to bypass and not coming straight to the point. You can laugh, sir, because you guys are going to be crying later on. One thing I want to tell you, sir, is that if it really was for a national issue, as you said, for advertising, do you think I'd want to use that $14,000 to do some publicity?

Information & Ethics committee  The only thing I can say in my testimony here today is that I have nothing to hide, and I have nothing to lose compared to my counterparts here. I'm sorry to say this, but you know, Mr. Harper is very strong. He comes to Quebec every 24th of June--he doesn't come before that--to say, hey, let's go for la fête nationale, bonne fête Québec.

Information & Ethics committee  Let me tell you something. In 2006 when we were supposed to get some of these ministers to come--I think it was Madame Verner--in all of the meetings they were saying, “Hey, we've got some money and we're ready to go back to elections.” It's funny that the other parties hardly had any money.