Foreign Affairs committee  Yes, but let me finish. I have always said what the new governance model should entail. I said that the Government of Haiti was fragile and needed the international community to take part in that reconstruction. I also said that we had to expand it as much as possible so that all the country's bone and sinew were involved.

Foreign Affairs committee  Let me finish, because I think that—

Foreign Affairs committee  You forgot to say that he also wrote that my remarks had been distorted because—

Foreign Affairs committee  Absolutely, but I was asked to give briefings to the National Security Council for NDI on the issue of governance in the context of the reconstruction.

Foreign Affairs committee  I was never a member of either the Parti québécois—

Foreign Affairs committee  I'm going to answer you very readily: I am not a sovereigntist.

Foreign Affairs committee  I'm going to answer you very readily: I am not a sovereigntist. In 1995, I took part, like many Quebeckers who are here today and who are members of all kinds of political parties, like yours... I was in favour of change. I took part in a public debate, a democratic process. In a number of countries where I worked, that kind of democratic process would not even be legal.

Foreign Affairs committee  Let me finish. That experience enabled me to go to other countries. In the Congo, for example, in a region dealing with civil war, I led the leaders of the Congolese political parties to debate the future of their country.

Foreign Affairs committee  I'm prepared to answer your questions, but—

Foreign Affairs committee  I was indeed a Canadian Alliance candidate, as you were a Liberal Party candidate and as others were Bloc québécois candidates. I believe I took part in a normal democratic process. That's precisely the mandate of Rights and Democracy.

Foreign Affairs committee  That's very easy, Mr.—

Foreign Affairs committee  That's very easy, Mr. Rae. It was my professional resumé. When I applied for NDI, too, I didn't mention that, because they wanted to know my competency in international development. That's the position for which I applied. I was not applying to be a candidate for a political party.

Foreign Affairs committee  What do you want to know about those contracts?

Foreign Affairs committee  I have various pieces of information on the contracts. I don't have them all because I have just taken up my position, but I can give you some. For example, if you wish, I can give you some information on Mr. Gauthier's trip to China. That came out yesterday or the day before.

Foreign Affairs committee  That was 23 years ago, Mr. Rae. I am prepared to tell you that, 23 years ago, when there was a dispute over two contracts that I had awarded, a parliamentary committee on financial commitments proved that those contracts had indeed been awarded in accordance with the law. Now I should tell you this.