Evidence of meeting #14 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.
4:45 p.m.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
You used the title spokesman of the former prime minister; we'll agree on that.
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
I agree. He wasn't a client in the strict sense of the term, but, well, yes, you're right. The question you raise is whether I discussed that amount with him? No.
4:45 p.m.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
At no time—you were given the quotations, those from last fall—when you spoke about the three $100,000 payments, did Mr. Mulroney tell you that you had to go back and correct the figures?
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
I told you: that evening, he called me to tell me very calmly and very specifically that there were three $75,000 payments.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Monsieur Lavoie, on Tuesday we heard from Mr. Spector. You and he worked in the Prime Minister's office at around the same time. Am I right to assume that you were there as part of the PC Party that had become the Government of Canada at the time?
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Mr. Spector talked about money flowing through the office. You were not aware of any of the PC Canada Fund, or you didn't see any of that activity, which was reported to us.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Well, he talked about $5,000 a month, money flowing through and going somewhere. So you didn't....
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Regarding your relationship with Mr. Mulroney, we hear that the present government, with its ministers, has cut off any relationship, any contact, between Mr. Mulroney and the Harper government. It's also curious to me why you have ceased to become part of Mr. Mulroney's group. I believe you ceased working for him or with him in the fall of 2007.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
What reason was there? Was it tied in any way to the fact that the relationship with the Harper group had been cut off? Do you still have any relationship with the Harper government, in terms of relating with ministers, in your business or with your board?
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
Number one, the relationship with Mr. Mulroney was terminated simply because, as I explained to the media, helping Mr. Mulroney with his communication when it involved six or seven calls a month was something I could deal with; helping Mr. Mulroney with his communication when it involved 35 to 40 calls a month at the level of crisis we were going through was simply incompatible with my profession. That's point number one.
Point number two had nothing to do with the cut-off from the Harper government.
Point number three is that no, I haven't had any contact with ministers in the government of Prime Minister Harper, but it might happen in the future, because we are in a business that is regulated. We are in a business that is quite important, that does a lot of business. I don't see why I wouldn't perform my duty as I'm supposed to.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
My time is probably expiring, but Mr. Lavoie, when you have a friend who is in big trouble, and you're the expert...I would have to ask myself why one of my best friends, who's an expert in the field, would leave my needs when I am in this need of help.
4:50 p.m.
As an Individual
I do have an answer for that. His best friend--and I don't know if I am his best friend, but we certainly had a very friendly relationship, and we still do--could not serve him well. He was not being well-served, because his friend, me, had a real-time job. It's a job as the executive vice-president in a major corporation. I had to perform my duties.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
We want to thank you for appearing before us.
You have challenged us a little bit. I think there's more. I would just indicate to you that as we move through this process I think your name may come up to come back before this committee. But that will be up to the committee to decide when we have our review at the end. Thank you kindly.
We are going to suspend now for five minutes so we can have a changeover and welcome our second witness.
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
We'll resume, colleagues.
Our next witness is Mr. François Martin, who is the former chef and manager of Prime Minister Mulroney's official residence at 24 Sussex Drive. He held that position for four years and resigned in 1989.
Good afternoon, Monsieur Martin. I want to welcome you before the committee. Please take your time. This is an information meeting, and I'm going to explain it to you.
The committee is doing a study. We are trying to gather some information, and it relates primarily to the ethical conduct and the rules and the regulations that we have. This committee is a committee of Parliament, and it is normal practice for us to swear in our witnesses, so that they swear they will tell the truth to the committee when they answer the questions. But anything you say here is protected, so it could not be used against you in any way.
We're here to have a conversation with you. It's to promote free speech. So I'm going to ask right now if the assistant clerk will swear you in, so we can start having our discussion together.