Yes.
Evidence of meeting #44 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was believe.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #44 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was believe.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:20 a.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
So what appears in the curriculum vitae coincides with the position description that Ms. Block submitted to you.
11:20 a.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Very well.
In addition to performing all those duties, which seem to represent a significant volume of work, you maintained relations with lobbyists.
Are you having translation problems?
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
We've lost translation. I will stop your time for a minute while we get that back.
Try again, Madame DeBellefeuille.
11:20 a.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
So I was saying that, in addition to performing all the parliamentary duties, which seem to me quite extensive and can also be characterized as partisan, you maintained relations with lobbyists. It's not clear whether the relations with the lobbyists in question were of a professional or friendly nature. We know that you were very friendly with the lobbyists in question. You took the time to go to the Rideau Club, and you saw them outside your work setting.
We know you currently have two companies. How did you find the time to do everything Ms. Block asked of you, in addition to managing two private companies? How did you manage to do all that work? Could you explain that to me, Mr. Ullyatt?
11:25 a.m.
As an Individual
I can say the companies aren't very successful, because I don't spend much time on them. I believe one of your other questions had to do with the type of relationship I have with these lobbyists, and I would accept that it was both professional and personal. Sometimes we would go out and discuss work things; sometimes we would go out and discuss family things; it was never only one or the other.
The partisan work that I did for Mrs. Block was done outside office hours. It was done from my home or from a coffee shop, from my laptop. I never engaged in partisan activities—
11:25 a.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Mr. Ullyatt, in your CV, you put that down as a duty that you performed when you were employed by Ms. Block. Pardon me for interrupting you, but you're contradicting what you told me earlier. The partisan duties were entered in your professional CV when you were employed by Ms. Block. However, you're telling me that you performed those two duties outside your paid work hours.
Are you telling me you're repudiating what you said 10 minutes later?
Read your CV, Mr. Ullyatt. You have two duties that, in my view, were more of a partisan nature. That was one of your professional duties when you were employed by Ms. Block. You were paid by the House of Commons to perform the duties of a parliamentary assistant and also to do partisan work. You also had time to run two mailing or posting businesses—call them what you will.
The question on the tip of my tongue is this: Mr. Ullyatt, has Ms. Block ever given you an appraisal of your professional performance, of your work?
11:25 a.m.
As an Individual
The question is, did I have a performance review by Mrs. Block?
11:25 a.m.
As an Individual
I had an informal one, yes. We had a discussion over whether she was happy with the amount of work I was doing for her and the tasks I was assigned.
11:25 a.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Did she seem satisfied?
If I had been your boss, given the work you did, you would not have had the time to run one or two businesses or to see lobbyists at the Rideau Club in the evening. I'm very surprised your performance was rated very high in your review.
11:25 a.m.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Mr. Ullyatt, for your attendance today.
When you sent the e-mail to Ms. Hamilton, did you have reason to believe that some of the matters touched on in the draft report would have an impact on any of her clients?
11:25 a.m.
As an Individual
No, I did not read the report. I didn't know what was even in the report when I forwarded it to her.
11:25 a.m.
As an Individual
I believe the report was sent at 8:30 in the morning, or something of that nature, from the clerk's office. I don't remember exactly.
11:25 a.m.
NDP
11:25 a.m.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
I'm having troubling understanding how you thought this wasn't wrong. I know you're saying it was a moment of....
11:25 a.m.
As an Individual
I knew it was wrong, and I believe I've stated that on the record. I knew it was wrong; I didn't understand just how wrong it was.
11:25 a.m.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
When you would meet casually, personally, with your circle of friends, which included the lobbyists in question, you said sometimes you talked about work or family. Is it reasonable to expect that during the course of ordinary discussion you would have mentioned to your circle of friends that one of the things you were doing was attending these hearings with your boss?