Evidence of meeting #34 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 sauvé.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
Raymonde Folco Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC
Not at all. Okay.
Were you at this very famous cocktail that we've all been hearing about in January 2009? Were you present at that cocktail, Madam Gersovitz?
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
Raymonde Folco Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC
Yes. Thank you.
Why did you go to the cocktail, if I can ask?
9:50 a.m.
As an Individual
I think that there were a number of reasons, but whereas we're focused right now on the West Block, I have to say that if you understand a wider context of what was happening outside of the very specific nature of the project, there were a great deal of—through the fall, and then specifically in January of 2009—marches and newspaper articles about not supporting Israel in the papers. On January 10 there was a particularly unpleasant march in Montreal. It was attended by a very large quantity of organizations, some of them political. The march was characterized in the press as containing a lot of comments and denunciations, with such things as “Death to the Jews”.
There was an article in the editorial section of one of the newspapers saying that those of us who remain silent become complicit in that sort of thing. I decided at that time to support the Conservative Party through a donation, in large measure because the Conservative Party seemed through the press to be the only ones that were very firm in their support of Israel and in their statements that Israel had the right to protect itself against the Hamas rocket attacks. I wanted to show my support to them by doing that.
So that was about January 15 that the newspaper editorial came out, and on January 16 I decided that I would go to this fundraiser, that it would be an opportunity to give the money and support the Conservative Party. And so the next day, I wrote the cheque to the Conservative Party of Canada for the fundraiser amount--
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
Raymonde Folco Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC
I'm going to interrupt you because there's a very little time, but I understand your motives.
Are you telling me that the reason you went to the cocktail and bought the tickets for the cocktail were for reasons completely outside the fact that you were going to be very closely involved in the reconstruction of the building on the Hill?
9:55 a.m.
As an Individual
I think, Madame Folco, that the question that I was going to be very much involved would be perhaps the crux of the perception. We have been working on the West Block project since the contract was first awarded in 1995. So whether or not in 2009 I then decided to give $500 from my personal account, it didn't strike me that there was a specific correlation between a relatively modest donation to a political party and the expectation, as you might be suggesting, of being about to work on a project. We were already working on that project, for quite a number of years.
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
Raymonde Folco Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC
Mr. Glouberman, I'm going to ask you the same questions. When you decided to attend this cocktail, or at least buy a ticket, what were your motives?
9:55 a.m.
As an Individual
Well, prior to going, Julia and I discussed whether we should go or shouldn't go. The reason Julia expressed was something I shared, but I also saw it as an opportunity to meet with the minister and impress upon him the importance of the project and that the project remains a priority within the government.
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
Raymonde Folco Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC
OKay. You were invited to come to this cocktail? Someone called you or wrote to you or whatever? Who is that person?
9:55 a.m.
As an Individual
We were invited. I am not exactly sure, but I suppose it was Paul Sauvé who called.
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
9:55 a.m.
As an Individual
Yes, although an invitation that comes with a request for money is not really an invitation, but yes, I think it was Mr. Sauvé who must have—
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
Raymonde Folco Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC
A request, let's call it a request...Mr. Sauvé.
I understand that there were very few people at this cocktail. It wasn't a cocktail for 500 or 600 people; it was a very few selected people who attended this cocktail. According to you, and I'm just asking for a general number, how many people attended this cocktail?
9:55 a.m.
As an Individual
I must say to you that we knew nobody there, so it wasn't that we could recognize faces or anything. It's not a large restaurant, this restaurant it was held in on Saint-Zotique Street in Montreal. It seemed like a small restaurant that was quite dark. We came in and sat together at a table at the back and just waited to hear the speeches.
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
Raymonde Folco Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC
Is this the first cocktail of any political party that you have attended? I ask the question to both of you: Madam Gersovitz, as well as Mr. Glouberman.
Yes, for you?