Information & Ethics committee  Thank you for the opportunity to say something. There is so much that could be said about so many things. Certainly my agent, Mr. Webber, has touched on things, and I've listened to what Mr. Lowry and the members sitting here had to say. I think my role here--because it's the only thing I can speak directly to-- has to be to answer the questions put to me.

Information & Ethics committee  In a sense, yes, but in another sense, no. I was asked to do something, the purpose of which I did not understand. I was also aware that I was responsible, along with my official agent, for what went on in that account. If I didn't understand what was going on in that account, I was not going to approve it.

Information & Ethics committee  I might have got to that point if I had understood what the purpose was, but I never knew what the purpose was. So I said no, because I was not prepared to accept to do something if I didn't know what the purpose of it was.

Information & Ethics committee  If you were to ask me what my verbatim conversation with Mr. Bouffard was at the time, I would say that was it.

Information & Ethics committee  All I can answer to today are questions of which I know the facts. I do not believe it is my role here today, or at all, to comment upon other people's behaviour or to guess why they did what they did. All I know is why I did what I did. And it was, as I said before, because I did not understand what the purpose of the money was.

Information & Ethics committee  No.

Information & Ethics committee  I did not testify to that effect. I did not say that. If you want, ask me the question again, but I did not say anything about the propriety of what I was asked. I simply said “I refuse” because I didn't understand what I was being asked. If I was unclear, I apologize to the committee.

Information & Ethics committee  Maybe.

Information & Ethics committee  On what date?

Information & Ethics committee  How much?

Information & Ethics committee  I thought you said $42,000.

Information & Ethics committee  Let's start over. Can we do it number by number?

Information & Ethics committee  I believe that the party paid or reimbursed me the $1,000 that was to be paid to Elections Canada to become a candidate.

Information & Ethics committee  I believe that that amount is for the signs on the posts.

Information & Ethics committee  I do not want to avoid answering the question, but I do not have a good answer. I am almost certain that it had something to do with the signs.