Evidence of meeting #48 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 campaign.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:05 p.m.
As an Individual
The GST is the portion on the bottom, and the calculation that I saw on here was a correct calculation.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
I'm going to have someone look at this; I want to understand it. Thank you kindly.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Gary Goodyear Conservative Cambridge, ON
Excuse me, Mr. Chair, could I just ask if it's 7% GST or 5% GST?
August 13th, 2008 / 12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have just a couple of brief questions.
You were the major provider of advertising to the Conservative Party for the 2005-06 election. Is that correct?
12:10 p.m.
As an Individual
We planned and we bought the media. We were the media buyers.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
You had the entire contract, which probably was in the millions of dollars.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
And you began in late November or early December, and as an extended period of election, there were a lot of days involved. I would think your original contract would probably have been for a budget of maybe $8 million. That would be on the public record. I don't think it's—
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
But it was somewhere in that vicinity.
Then in December, with the long election period, it became evident that somebody wanted to spend another $1.3 million. It's my understanding, Mr. Kumpf, that you had a conference call on that amount. Who was involved in that conference call to determine a further contract between you and the Conservative Party of Canada for a further $1.3 million, approximately?
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
You call it what you want, but it's the matter that we're discussing here today. It was the Conservative Party somehow attempting to spend another $1.3 million. Who was on that conference call with you?
12:10 p.m.
As an Individual
There was me, there was David, there was Doug Finley, there was Mike Donison, Patrick Muttart, Perry Miele, and there was possibly a creative representative there on the conference call.
12:10 p.m.
As an Individual
Excuse me. Also, the counsel for the Conservative Party was on that conference call.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Now, during that conference call, was there any question posed as to the legality of this type of an operation?
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Mr. Chairman, the question has been asked, and I know you don't like interrupting between questions and answers, but I think that's getting into solicitor-client privilege. Mr. Hubbard is essentially asking the witnesses as to what counsel might be telling them as to the legality of something. Anywhere else, that's not a proper question. It's solicitor-client privilege.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Thank you.
That's not a point of order; it's a matter of debate. In fact, this is the same issue of a member trying to defend the position of a witness. If there's a solicitor-client relationship, legal counsel at the table will probably be aware of it.
Mr. Hubbard, you completed that question. Would you like to repeat it?
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
On the additional $1.3 million that the Conservative Party of Canada was prepared to spend during the last five weeks of the election campaign, was there any question among any in that group as to the legality of the situation under the Canada Elections Act?
12:10 p.m.
As an Individual
I participated in that call, and we did indeed seek confirmation that the budget was within allowable limits. I indicated that in my opening statement. I've been advised by our counsel that there are some questions about what we are permitted to say now, for the reasons that have just been indicated.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
I appreciate that. But I'm really getting at whether, in terms of that discussion, the $1.3 million, if assigned to the Conservative Party of Canada, would have caused its official agent, on behalf of the Conservative Party of Canada, to exceed her spending limits.