Evidence of meeting #38 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 varin.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Oh, that's right, yes. Perhaps I'm not talking loud enough, but it does help a lot to have the earpiece.
Gilles Prud'Homme was one of Gilles Varin's contacts in the Conservative Party. Is that correct?
9:40 a.m.
President, LM Sauvé
Gilles Prud'Homme knew Gilles Varin, but I don't believe he was an official contact. The two men certainly knew each other.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
So Mr. Varin, obviously, had responsibility to collect money for his party, and he asked you to organize this fundraiser. Where did you get the names from? Someone must have said to you, “Here's who you should call, contact, to come to this fundraiser.” Who did that?
9:40 a.m.
President, LM Sauvé
Varin had a list that he brought to the table. Prud'Homme had a short list as well, but this was very.... It happened the way it happened. I made a few calls, and I automatically, perhaps foolishly, called upon the people who were involved with the project and had perhaps a vested interest to meet the minister, and they all said yes.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
Thank you, Mr. Regan.
Thank you, Mr. Sauvé.
Mr. Lemay, you have five minutes.
November 23rd, 2010 / 9:40 a.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
First of all, I would like to extend my condolences to Mr. Dorval.
Mr. Sauvé, are you a regular at the Mas des Oliviers restaurant?
9:40 a.m.
President, LM Sauvé
I met Gilles Varin at the Mas des Oliviers maybe three or four times at most, because he has lunch there practically every day.
9:40 a.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
And that's why you say that the Mas des Oliviers, where you were invited, is the Conservative Party headquarters.
9:40 a.m.
President, LM Sauvé
It's kind of a joke in Montreal, because it's a place where people go to network. The fact is that several members of the Conservative Party frequent that establishment.
9:40 a.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
According to you, then, it was clear that you would be meeting with a lobbyist.
9:40 a.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Did Mr. Varin ask for $25,000 to get you on the shortlist for a possible contract on the tower?
9:40 a.m.
President, LM Sauvé
Mr. Varin suggested that it would cost approximately $300,000 for the job as a whole, and that in order to get us on the shortlist, he wanted to receive a payment of $25,000—a retainer.
9:40 a.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
And his job was to get the shortlist changed so that your name would be on it, provided that you gave him $25,000.
9:40 a.m.
President, LM Sauvé
I can't say that.
I don't know what kind of magic was being worked behind the scenes, and to this day, I'm not certain that it helped in terms of changes made to the specifications or the addenda.
9:40 a.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
I see.
However, you did make the shortlist, and you did pay the $25,000.
9:40 a.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Perfect.
As regards the cocktail party with Mr. Paradis in 2009, did you know that he would be in attendance?
9:40 a.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
I would like to draw your attention to an excerpt from your notes, of which we were very kindly given a copy. It's interesting; it says: “Cocktail party fundraiser in the riding of Bourassa organized by LM Sauvé with Minister Paradis in attendance.” And this is where it gets really interesting: “Mr. Paradis expected reimbursement for his cashmere Holt Renfrew coat lost during the event.”
You wrote that. What is this all about?