Evidence of meeting #13 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was company.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
Yes, I understand, but that includes opening some government doors and meeting with decision-makers. He was probably not offering to...
3:50 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
If they could do that, that would be something they would do on their own, because again, as I said, there's no underhandedness or undue influence here. This was based on the fact that they understood government. They understood who to take the projects to, not on the basis of doing anything under the table or outside the law or outside any sort of structured basis.
3:50 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Sure, sure, I knew that he was a former caucus member or the head of the caucus. I knew that he had a 12-year career as an MP, but I wasn't expecting him to open doors to specific government members or anything else. I wanted an intermediary who understood the maze of government--to figure out how to get an application into the right place and get it assessed. Simple.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
What do you mean by the “government maze”? You do not need someone like Rahim Jaffer to do that.
3:50 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
I'll give you an example. Recently I lost my wallet, so I had to go and get my citizenship card replaced. To me, getting on the government site to get my citizenship card was a government maze. That's my example.
You can get so frustrated with the amount of requirements, the number of things that you need or you don't need, and talking to people on the phone. It can get very frustrating. So from my standpoint, if I had someone who knew who to go to and deal with to get my citizenship card, I would have done that, too.
3:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
I do not deny that. I sent it.
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
Very well. However, through your spokesman, Mr. Brian Kilgore, you stated that you went too far, that you were too enthusiastic and that those words were not appropriate. Today, in hindsight, you admit that this is true. You believed that Rahim Jaffer could open Prime Minister Harper's door for you. Is that correct?
3:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Well, I've said that I was way overenthusiastic. I don't know how to say this. I've said, “Sorry, it was my fault.” It was an awful choice of words. I should never have said it, but it was a genuine mistake. It came from being excited. He was a former caucus member. The Prime Minister is a Conservative. He was a Conservative.
I got carried away. It was a stupid thing to do, but I did it, and I'm taking responsibility for it. There was no wrongdoing on Mr. Jaffer's part whatsoever.
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
In your e-mail, you referred to a repeated commitment from him. The committee has a copy of that e-mail. What did you mean exactly when you alluded to a “repeated commitment” from Rahim Jaffer?
3:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Where did I say “repeated commitment”?
3:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
I have the e-mail. I don't remember reading anywhere that it said “repeated commitment”. Would you like to point that out to me? I can pass it to you if you like.
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
I will come back to that.
You said that you were too enthusiastic. In what sense do you think that you went too far?
3:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
I was excited, and it was not what I should have said, obviously.
3:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
I've said this over and over again; I said that someone who could work through the government maze, yes; open the Prime Minister's Office, no. I said that. It was my fault.
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
You signed a contract with Rahim Jaffer, did you not?
3:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
With his company, yes.
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
Based on your spokesman's statement, you are someone who keeps his files. Would it be possible for you to send us more detailed documents?
3:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
I've said I would provide this committee with every single document I have from the day I met him until today: every single document, every single piece of correspondence—
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
Could you provide the committee with specific and detailed information on the steps taken by Mr. Jaffer?
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
3:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Again, I go back to the contract that was signed, which says exactly what they were going to do. I keep saying that they were going to deal with any company that we brought them and take it to the right government body to assess whether or not they were viable--by the government.
