Evidence of meeting #48 for Canadian Heritage in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was crtc.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Vice-Chair (Appointee), Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Congratulations!
What's different in this case is that he was wrong. He thought I had been appointed, but I hadn't. In fact, I learned of my appointment on February 4. Around 1:30 p.m., I received a call saying that there would be a press release at 2:00 p.m. Congratulations! You've just been appointed. And there you have it.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
Mr. Pentefountas, first of all, I really appreciated your opening remarks. I think you have a story that's a great Canadian story. I think if you look at your family, your family story, it's not that different from mine. It's probably not that different from many of the people here. I think you have demonstrated hard work and determination. You're a well-educated individual.
Some of your life experience, would that be in both business and law?
Vice-Chair (Appointee), Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Most certainly. People have consulted me for the last 15 years on business matters, be it business models, be it financing, be it personnel, and other issues of the sort. I've also been involved in family businesses, be it my family or my in-laws' family. They are involved in business. I was vice-president of the Hellenic Board of Trade in Montreal, which is affiliated with the Montreal Board of Trade. So there are business experiences, there are legal experiences, and there are personal experiences.
The other thing is that we have an understanding of the general dynamic in Canada and all its component parts. I think of the capacity to move with great facility between the English community, the francophone community, and if you feel as much at home in east end Montreal as you do in Toronto or Sept-Îles, I think you bring something to the table in a complementary fashion, because you are working with 430 other people in the building right across the river here. So I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues to find forward-thinking solutions for the CRTC and for broadcasting in Canada.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
I objected to this hearing because I think it sets a terrible precedent. I'm not aware of parliamentary committees dragging in persons who set their names forward for public service and trying to embarrass them or ask the types of questions or make the accusations that we've just heard from Mr. Angus or Ms. Lavallée, which I thought were deplorable. I found it somewhat disturbing.
This same week, we appointed a former Liberal member to the CBC board, and nobody wants to hear from that person. But they want to drag you in because they think that it might somehow be favouritism that you were appointed.
Do you feel qualified? From what you've said, you're a well-educated person. You have a lot of life experience, a lot of business experience, and legal experience. You sound qualified to me. Do you feel you're qualified?
Vice-Chair (Appointee), Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Thanks for the question.
There are two things I want to mention. One, and I think Mr. Angus should maybe stick around for it—
Vice-Chair (Appointee), Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Your interest is overwhelming.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Order. Let's focus on the question in hand. Mr. Del Mastro has asked a question.
Go ahead, Mr. Pentefountas.
Vice-Chair (Appointee), Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Two things stem from what I just heard. People have to understand it as a process. You interview. There's a follow-up interview. There are reference checks, and the people you submit are called and they spend an hour or so on the phone with them. There are background checks. There are RCMP checks. You sign all kinds of waivers so that they can look at everything they want to look at. So it's not that simple.
Where Mr. Angus finds the eight people on the short list, I don't know.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
I'm not aware of any short list. I'm going to ask him to—
Vice-Chair (Appointee), Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
I'll tell you something else. I'm not aware of anyone else that applied for this position.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Order. The chair has the floor. One person at a time. The person I've recognized is Mr. Pentefountas.
Go ahead, Mr. Pentefountas.
Vice-Chair (Appointee), Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
It may have been in La Presse, but—
I don't know who else was involved, who else may have applied, and I don't know the processes by which the committee that decides these things finalized their decision on my candidacy. That's the first element.
The second element is, it's a process. I understand the heightened political environment of the day. That being said, I'm leaving behind an excellent legal practice, a comfortable life in Montreal, and I'm coming to Gatineau to serve. It's an honour, a pleasure. I can do it, and I look forward to it.
Conservative
Liberal
Bonnie Crombie Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
Thank you.
Mr. Pentefountas, it's a pleasure to meet you.
Vice-Chair (Appointee), Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Likewise.
Liberal
Bonnie Crombie Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
What we're trying to establish is whether the rules of proper procedure were followed in your appointment. I think that's the underlying reason for this meeting.
I've looked at your résumé, and I agree with everyone: you're a bright, educated man. You have legal training from U of O. You were active with the ADQ and the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce. You were even an unsuccessful candidate, am I correct? You practice with Silver Sandiford.
My concern is that you have a very cozy network of friends and associates, and by coincidence good things seem to happen to these people. I'd like to go down the list a little bit: Senator Housakos, formerly of VIA Rail; Jean-Martin Masse, his good friend, replaced him at VIA Rail; Marcel and Gerald Tremblay, citizenship judge; Nick Katalifos, a business partner of Senator Housakos and chair of—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
There is a point of order from Mr. Del Mastro. Go ahead, Mr. Del Mastro.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
This study is about Mr. Pentefountas and his qualifications to be on the CRTC board. Madam Crombie is going through a process of dragging people's names through the mud for no apparent cause. I don't see how it's relevant to the study at hand.
