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July 25th, 2012

Paul Calandra: I did nothing wrong (but please take your money back)

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage is now Canada’s leading basement fundraiser. Two separate subterranean fundraisers were held this year for Paul Calandra by business people trying to get approval from the CRTC to use Toronto’s 88.1 FM.

As the Globe and Mail reports: “Mr. Calandra initially declined to say who hosted the fundraiser and claimed he had never received donations from anyone associated with Mr. Selvadurai’s companies.” (July 25th, 2012).

However, media coverage seems to have jogged his memory, and now Calandra has decided to return $5,000 of the $22,000 raised at the event.

From multiple ethics investigations against Christian Paradis to Tony Clement’s G8 slush fund to Peter MacKay’s dodgy hiring and his use of military helicopters to airlift him from his fishing vacation, Conservatives ethical standards have never been lower.

Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have become exactly what they used to criticize.