Evidence of meeting #18 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 gillani.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
Were you in the group that met after the preceding group? Were you in the afternoon group?
5 p.m.
As an Individual
Yes, we were the second group. I wasn't sure if there was a group after us or not, but there was a group before us.
We shook hands. I vaguely recognized those two individuals, not Jim Wright but the other one. I believe it was Mr. Stephen Wright who was there.
5 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
That's fine. Jim Wright.
The question I would have for you is this. How long was the meeting? From the time you spent with him that afternoon until you later said goodbye, how long was the meeting?
5 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
It was an hour. All right.
I'm trying to get a sense of it. We've now connected to Mr. Jaffer in that particular meeting. I'm trying to get a sense of it. I'm trying to build on Ms. Coady's comments as well.
What were your expectations of Mr. Jaffer? I had a sense that you thought he would be able to access funding for you through some potential government connections that he had.
5 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
You've presented this card. I know that Mr. Gillani had talked to us before about a card that somebody had crossed out. When I crossed out mine, it looked like this, but that's not the card you're presenting here.
5 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
You said you have some sense of what lobbying is, but you aren't sure about how lobbying works. Really?
5 p.m.
As an Individual
Yes. As far as an intermediary between someone who is looking for something from the government and the government, that is what I understand lobbying to be.
5 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
I think you have it.
When I look at this, I want to be clear on a couple of things. In your dealings with Mr. Jaffer, you said you had no connection to any staffer in the government.
5 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
There was no connection to any parliamentary secretary in the government.
5 p.m.
Conservative
5 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
There was no connection to anybody in the Prime Minister's Office.
5 p.m.
Conservative
5 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
As I think of your relationship with Mr. Jaffer, it seems to me that if he was a lobbyist, he wasn't a particularly effective lobbyist.
5 p.m.
As an Individual
I'm not here to pass judgment on that, but he certainly didn't arrange for funding for us, if that's what you mean.