Information & Ethics committee  I would just like to thank the committee for the opportunity to be here and to speak on this. I feel very strongly that there could have been benefits to the 67 campaigns had the money been allowed to be used on our campaigns. It certainly would have then benefited, through Elections Canada, from a rebate.

Information & Ethics committee  I personally did not see or hear. Travelling around my district, my radio was on full-time, and I certainly did not hear anything on the radio that would indicate to me that I was being a part of the national campaign.

Information & Ethics committee  That is certainly not a fair way of doing things, and if I had had that $7,700 in my campaign during the election there would be a different member sitting in Ottawa right now. What happened in Random--Burin--St. George’s--done on our $18,000, I believe, which we spent in a month, and we came within 1,400 votes of the sitting member--shows me that had that $7,700 been spent on my campaign, or had the Conservative Party of Canada done anything in my campaign, there would be a different member there now.

Information & Ethics committee  In late December. I actually started my campaign on January 2.

Information & Ethics committee  I started my campaign on January 2, and if anyone in this room knows the size of Random—Burin—St. George's, I spent the time on my campaign travelling the district. I put over 5,000 kilometres on my car in about 20 days. I did not in conversation, because of course we talked daily, mention the fact that there was an amount of money that came to our campaign from the federal Conservatives and that we were rather happy because, being late starting, we did not have a lot of money for advertising or anything else that was going on.

Information & Ethics committee  Stephenville Crossing.

Information & Ethics committee  Certainly not, sir, although that did not go well with us. The problem came when our present Prime Minister elected not to honour his agreement with the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Information & Ethics committee  It's Random—Burin—St. George's.