Speech (committee meeting)

{
    "time": "2018-02-08 09:30:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Michel Picard (Montarville, Lib.)",
        "fr": "M. Michel Picard (Montarville, Lib.)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"5271070\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Thank you, Mr. Chair.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5271071\" data-originallang=\"fr\">I would like to ask you some questions on political financing. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5271072\" data-originallang=\"fr\">The act, as it is written, does not allow anyone to finance their own campaign. All candidates are required to seek funding for their electoral campaigns. All parliamentary secretaries and ministers are primarily MPs, and they will eventually all be candidates again.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5271073\" data-originallang=\"fr\">I have a problem to present to you. It is highly probable that at least one company or individual in a candidate's riding will ostensibly create a conflict of interest by donating money to the candidate, especially if the candidate is a parliamentary secretary or a minister, because there's always this notion of \u201cscratch my back, and I'll scratch yours\u201d. In these circumstances, does the candidate have a choice or not? </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5271074\" data-originallang=\"fr\">I'm not sure that the \u201cI'll scratch yours\u201d part applies for a $1,500 donation, because the impact on the total amount raised for the campaign isn't big enough. However, the court of public opinion doesn't care about the amount donated: It casts its verdict on the donation alone. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5271075\" data-originallang=\"fr\">As the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, what is your position on the obligation that all candidates must evaluate the average value of their campaigns, and, by law, raise funds accordingly? It's a bit ridiculous for some candidates who have the means to finance their own campaigns, but the law requires them to raise funds. The candidates then ask the public to pay for their campaigns, because they are forced to do so. This restrictive approach disadvantages those who have greater public responsibilities. </p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"5271070\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Merci, monsieur le pr\u00e9sident.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5271071\" data-originallang=\"fr\">J'aimerais vous poser des questions sur le financement politique.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5271072\" data-originallang=\"fr\">La Loi, telle qu'elle est \u00e9crite, ne permet \u00e0 personne de financer sa propre campagne. N'importe quel candidat est oblig\u00e9 de solliciter des fonds pour financer sa campagne \u00e9lectorale. Tous les secr\u00e9taires parlementaires et tous les ministres sont, \u00e0 la base, des d\u00e9put\u00e9s, et ils seront \u00e9ventuellement \u00e0 nouveau candidats.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5271073\" data-originallang=\"fr\">J'ai une difficult\u00e9 \u00e0 vous soumettre. Il existe une forte probabilit\u00e9 qu'au moins une entreprise ou un individu dans la circonscription d'un candidat suscite une perception de conflit d'int\u00e9r\u00eats en donnant de l'argent \u00e0 ce dernier, surtout s'il est secr\u00e9taire parlementaire ou ministre, car il y a toujours cette fameuse notion du retour d'ascenseur. Dans de telles circonstances, le candidat a-t-il un choix ou est-il dans un cul-de-sac?</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5271074\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Je ne suis pas certain que l'on puisse parler de retour d'ascenseur si la somme en jeu est de 1 500 $, puisque l'impact n'est pas assez grand sur le montant total de la campagne. Cependant, le tribunal populaire fait fi du montant de la campagne: il regarde l'acte isol\u00e9 et le juge.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5271075\" data-originallang=\"fr\">En tant que commissaire aux conflits d'int\u00e9r\u00eats et \u00e0 l'\u00e9thique, quelle est votre position sur cette obligation qu'ont tous les candidats d'\u00e9valuer le montant moyen de leur campagne et, de par la loi, de solliciter des fonds? Dans le cas de certains candidats qui pourraient financer eux-m\u00eames leur campagne, c'est un peu ridicule, mais la loi les oblige \u00e0 solliciter ces fonds. Par cons\u00e9quent, le candidat demande \u00e0 la population de payer sa campagne, une situation qui lui est impos\u00e9e. Cette approche restrictive joue contre ceux qui ont des responsabilit\u00e9s publiques plus importantes.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/committees/ethics/42-1/90/michel-picard-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/michel-picard/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4326/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "9958823",
    "document_url": "/committees/ethics/42-1/90/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fcommittees%2Fethics%2F42-1%2F90%2F"
    }
}