Government Operations Committee on Dec. 9th, 2010

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

He never talked to you about his contract. And yet he did talk about his contract.

[Bernard Côté]

I don't even know what contract he talked about. It's quite simple. I have no idea about the contract in question, except for what came out at the start of this affair.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Following the remarks that he made about his difficulties, what steps did you take? As a political assistant, you have to forward messages. Did you forward any messages to anyone?

[Bernard Côté]

No specific message was forwarded. It was a general conversation about the fact that he was having trouble breaking into the Ottawa market. That may be a topic that my colleagues at the Ottawa office discussed, but, generally speaking, by saying that people might be complaining that it was difficult to get established and bid on government contracts.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Who asked you to meet with Mr. Sauvé?

[Bernard Côté]

I don't remember. I remember meeting Mr. Sauvé, but I don't remember who asked me, or how, or when.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

At what point did you eat with Mr. Sauvé? On what date?

[Bernard Côté]

I just told you: I don't remember.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

You don't remember.

[Bernard Côté]

No, not at all.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

You remember that you ate with him, but you don't remember when.

[Bernard Côté]

I remember meeting him, but I don't remember the date.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

It wasn't Mr. Varin who asked you to meet him?

[Bernard Côté]

As I told you, I don't remember how... I met a lot of people in the two years I was there. Don't ask me to put dates to each of the meetings and say through whom and how it happened because I don't remember.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

I hope for your sake you don't want the sound bite on the news this evening to be: "I don't remember." We're going to have to work a little.

[Bernard Côté]

I've sworn an oath here to say what I know. So I'm telling you what I know.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

And what you remember.

Do you often go to the Mas des Oliviers restaurant?

[Bernard Côté]

Not really.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

How many times?

You don't remember—

[Bernard Côté]

Once or twice a year.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

You don't remember talking about contracts with Mr. Varin?

[Bernard Côté]

No.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Varin never spoke about contracts with you?

[Bernard Côté]

Mr. Varin approached us. I remember an event with... Not an event, but an element with Mr. Varin.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Which one?