Government Operations Committee on April 21st, 2010

[Patrick Glémaud]

Yes.

Let me add, Madam Chair, that I am the individual who sent an e-mail to Brian Jean's office with respect to three of what we call “executive summaries”.

Madam Chair, I am not sure whether the members of this committee have had the opportunity to actually go to the website of the green infrastructure fund to get an understanding of the terms and conditions of that program or to get an understanding of the policy on the transfer payment program that establishes how this program works and functions.

Based on that program, Madam Chair, there is a three-stage process. In the first process, you submit an executive summary, or a summary. If there is an interest, then you have to submit a full proposal, and after a full proposal a contribution.

Madam Chair, we only got to the first stage, which is basically submitting a letter of interest.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

I know that. So you submitted executive summaries to Mr. Jean. It was you who did that?

[Patrick Glémaud]

It was to his office.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Okay.

I'm again going back to that little point of confusion. Let's get this clear.

[Patrick Glémaud]

Go ahead.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Mr. Jaffer, you said the extent of your business is advising companies.

Mr. Glémaud, I understood from The Toronto Star, and perhaps it's not quoted correctly, that the goal of GPG was to “build businesses“--that “we were going to own many pieces of projects and then go public”.

That's a little different from “advising”. Could you just clarify it for me, please?

[Patrick Glémaud]

Madam Chair, if this committee were relying on a statement from Kevin Donovan from The Toronto Star, I think you'd be starting in the wrong direction. These are allegations, innuendoes, or whatever. We even intend to take legal action against Mr. Kevin Donovan himself for talking with false information.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

That clarifies it. It appears that it is a direct quote; that's why I asked for clarity.

Going back to what Mr. Jaffer said, you're in an advisory role only. I want to go back to that a little bit.

But first, Mr. Jaffer, before we move on, you spoke to the Prime Minister ten days after and you haven't spoken with him since. What about anyone in the Prime Minister's Office at all? We have another allegation, and that's why we're here to clarify things, from Mr. Gallani, whom I believe you've had contact with. He wrote to a group of businessmen last year—we know that has occurred—and the e-mail stated something along the lines of Mr. Jaffer's having opened up the Prime Minister's Office.

You're saying that statement is actually false. Did you correct Mr. Gallani on that?

[Rahim Jaffer]

I never even saw this e-mail that he may or may not have sent out.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

I think you're copied on it, though.

[Rahim Jaffer]

He claims that I have never seen this e-mail. I would have been happy to clarify it, had it been the case.

Anyone who knows how this place works knows that no one has access to the Prime Minister's Office, nor would I ever say such a thing, because it wouldn't be accurate and it wouldn't reflect the business we're involved in. Unfortunately, often when members of Parliament or others in senior roles interact with public people, we can't control the puffery they may use to advance their own cause.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

So for clarity purposes, you did not see this e-mail from Mr. Gallani; therefore, that's why you did not refute his claim.

[Rahim Jaffer]

Absolutely. But I also have to say that during any business process—and I don't know whether you have the experience of building your own business—

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

I absolutely do.

[Rahim Jaffer]

So you know the process you have to go through to explore who you may want to work with, what sorts of relationships you're going to build, or what focus your business is going to have. Over the course of the last year, Mr. Glémaud and I have met different people and have taken the time to explore whether or not there are synergies with their companies. Mr. Gallani was one of those, but we realized very quickly after a few meetings with him that our firms were very divergent and that we had no real synergies whereby we could develop a relationship, so that exploration ended at that stage. Unfortunately, as a result, we've still been pulled into something in which we don't even know Mr. Gallani's business and his dealings that are out there.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you, Mr. Jaffer.

Madame Bourgeois, vous aurez huit minutes, s'il vous plaît.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Good afternoon, gentlemen. Thank you for being here.

My first question is addressed to both witnesses. Gentlemen, please tell me, yes or no, whether you are registered as lobbyists.

[Patrick Glémaud]

No, we are not registered, because the legislation does not require it, given the nature of our activities.

[Rahim Jaffer]

No. I don't perform lobbying activities, so I'm not registered.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

On your company's website, it stated, up until last week—your site is no longer accessible—that your company provided advice to the Government of Canada on investing the $3 billion renewable energy fund. Is that correct?

[Patrick Glémaud]

Yes, it is absolutely correct.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

It also states that your company has built a long-term relationship with government agencies. Is that correct?

[Patrick Glémaud]

Yes, it is.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Who is answering the questions here? Is it the new owner? I have the impression that there are two administrators.

Mr. Glémaud, you were the administrator until 2008.

[Patrick Glémaud]

From the beginning, Ms. Bourgeois.