No.
Evidence of meeting #26 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 know.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #26 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 know.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Can you tell us whether you ever travelled for business on your MP's passport?
10:20 a.m.
Green Power Generation Corporation
I'm happy to answer that question. I do have problems with the statements you made prior to your question because I would say they're misleading.
Nathan, you and I served a long time together. I think you know my character and you know the fact that I would not abuse any privileges that I had through my wife's office or through the process of learning how to be a good MP. I wouldn't have been returned after four elections if I had abused that process.
The fact of the matter is, as I clarified to Mr. Calandra, when I was in the process of changing my passport.... As you know, the special passport that's issued to all of us--to me as a former MP--was asked to be returned after the election. I made representations about what my options were then. I was told specifically, from my wife's chief of staff at the time, that I was only to have one passport and I could use it for personal use.
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
You said earlier you were suspicious of it, but you still followed it, correct?
10:20 a.m.
Green Power Generation Corporation
The reason I followed it was that when I was elected as an MP I only had one passport.
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Of course you can't have two. My question was very specific. Did you ever use the green passport, the MP's passport, to travel on business?
June 17th, 2010 / 10:20 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
You never travelled to China. You never went to Cuba on business. You never travelled with that green passport.
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Are you able to provide your passport? As we know, when this passport is used, stamps are placed in it from any of those countries you visited. Would you provide that to the committee?
10:20 a.m.
Green Power Generation Corporation
I can provide...I can look to see. The one passport, unfortunately, throughout the whole process.... I don't know if this was made public. I was inquired about this by a journalist. When we came back from our trip—we were away during this whole episode when this Toronto Star article happened, when Helena was dismissed from caucus and cabinet. When we came back it was quite tumultuous. We tried to get legal representation. I lost both my citizenship card and my passport. Helena didn't.
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
You lost both. Okay, and you lost the green passport.
The point I want to get at, Rahim, is this: did you travel on this passport, which is given out to members of Parliament only, to do business? You're saying no. You will or will not provide it to committee to verify whether that's true?
10:20 a.m.
Green Power Generation Corporation
I lost it, but I never did travel on that passport.
10:20 a.m.
Green Power Generation Corporation
I lost both that and my citizenship card, but I did report that to both the—
10:20 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
You understand that if this committee finds your testimony was contradictory or misleading, you can be found in contempt of Parliament.