Evidence of meeting #10 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was mulroney.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:05 p.m.
P.C., As an Individual
No, sir. I have never lobbied any government at any time since I left office.
12:05 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
And you've taken the position that the work you did with regard to the military vehicle was all done internationally.
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
You had this exchange with Mr. Martin earlier this morning, and I'm not clear what your position is. Did you in fact feel you had also been retained to work on obtaining contracts or business for Mr. Schreiber around the pasta business?
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
I understand what he says, because you've read it to us two or three times today so far. What was your perception of your job? Was it only for the military vehicle, or was it for the pasta business as well?
12:10 p.m.
P.C., As an Individual
I believe that although he said that in his testimony, he's in error. I believe that the pasta matters to which he refers, in which he has written to me about Bill Gates and all the other, came later, although in his testimony he says he hired me for two principal reasons, the Thyssen work and the anti-obesity pasta business he proposed to develop.
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
During the meeting in Harrington Lake on June 23, while you were still Prime Minister, did the business of a pasta machine arise at any time?
12:10 p.m.
P.C., As an Individual
No, sir, it was about nothing. I've indicated in my statement that there was no conversation or undertaking of any kind in regard to my employment. I said in my statement that Bear Head was mentioned, and my only comment about it was that I regretted that it hadn't come about.
I was in favour of it, Mr. Comartin. I thought it would be a great job creator in eastern Nova Scotia, where—
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Let me ask you this, Mr. Mulroney: when did you feel you were first retained as a consultant to promote the use of that vehicle?
12:10 p.m.
P.C., As an Individual
Yes, although Mr. Schreiber testifies that it was late 1993 or early 1994.
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Well, he also testified that he gave you the money on August 27, 1993.
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
At the time you received that money, when you were in the hotel room and he handed you that envelope of $75,000, by your evidence, was there any discussion at that time of what the $75,000 was for?
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
All right, and what was your understanding? Was it just the military vehicle, or the pasta business also?
12:10 p.m.
NDP
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
All right.
With regard to how these funds were handled, I'm still not clear about the money that was in New York, although you declared it here as revenue and paid full taxes on it, with no deductions for any of those expenses of flying around the world. What happened to that money? Literally, we have $75,000 sitting in a safety deposit box in New York.