Evidence of meeting #8 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 money.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Karlheinz Schreiber  As an Individual

12:10 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

Okay. And what was his role here?

12:10 p.m.

As an Individual

Karlheinz Schreiber

I just said that he was targeted by Mr. Mulroney as one of the bad Liberals, like Fowler and others--

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

Mr. Fowler...Bob Fowler.

12:15 p.m.

As an Individual

Karlheinz Schreiber

--who made the problems with the project.

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

And he was targeted by Mr. Mulroney?

12:15 p.m.

As an Individual

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

In other words, they were the ones he was blaming for the failure of the project?

12:15 p.m.

As an Individual

Karlheinz Schreiber

Yes.

I had no idea that he ever would have been against it. That's the really bad part of the story.

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

“He” being Mr. Mulroney?

12:15 p.m.

As an Individual

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

Thank you.

12:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo

Thank you.

Mr. Schreiber, just for clarification for the committee, I've heard you for the second time say that you brought the envelope of one hundred one-thousand-dollar bills and gave it to Mr. Mulroney the first time.

12:15 p.m.

As an Individual

12:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo

Did he, subsequent to that, suggest to you that he would prefer to receive the money by transfer or other financial instrument? Because it seems to me very difficult to spend a one-thousand-dollar bill, never mind one hundred of them.

12:15 p.m.

As an Individual

12:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo

He never asked you for another alternative financial...?

12:15 p.m.

As an Individual

12:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo

Thank you.

I move now to Mr. Hiebert for ten minutes.

December 11th, 2007 / 12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Schreiber, the basis of Mr. Mulroney's libel suit in 1996 was a letter that the Department of Justice sent to Swiss authorities insinuating that Mr. Mulroney had received Airbus kickbacks. There are still some outstanding questions as to how that letter was made public.

Mr. Schreiber, did you ever see a copy of that letter, the one from the Department of Justice, before it was published in the Financial Post?

12:15 p.m.

As an Individual

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC

Can you tell me where you saw the letter?

12:15 p.m.

As an Individual

Karlheinz Schreiber

Excuse me, sir, it's common knowledge. I received the letter in German from the law firm which was representing me. When I saw the letter and I read the letter in that office, I called Mr. Mulroney, informed him about it, and Mr. Mulroney requested the translation from the lawyer in that office.

Then I left. Then the letters, in English, were sent to my lawyer, to Mr. Mulroney, to my other lawyers, and as far as I recall, there was even a lawsuit against the law firm Blum and Partner, in which they were accused of having leaked this letter to somebody. This was already in the Swiss media, but as far as I understand, this lawsuit finally collapsed. Maybe one can find out.

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC

Mr. Schreiber, do you know a reporter who used to work at the Financial Post by the name of Philip Mathias?

12:15 p.m.

As an Individual

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC

Have you ever met him or spoken with him?