Evidence of meeting #19 for Declaration of Emergency in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was industry.
A video is available from Parliament.
8:25 p.m.
President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
They were officials responsible for border crossings and dealing with public health.
8:25 p.m.
President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
I deal with multiple people at Transport Canada, at CBSA and at Health Canada. I'd have to look through my Rolodex to go through them all.
Would you like them all?
8:25 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
Yes, please send them all to us.
Did you speak with anyone at Public Safety Canada?
8:25 p.m.
President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
It would be directly with those responsible at CBSA for cross-border—
8:25 p.m.
President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
Again, I'd have to go through my Rolodex and get you all these names.
8:30 p.m.
Bloc
8:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
CTA deals with individuals at both the bureaucratic level and the political level.
8:30 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
Do you deal with them regularly? I ask because you aren't even able to name one of them.
8:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
Exactly, sir. I don't understand what you want with names. What are the specific issues?
8:30 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
I want the names of the people at the Minister of Public Safety's office you spoke to.
8:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
I can't remember all the names off the top of my head.
8:30 p.m.
Bloc
8:30 p.m.
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
Could we please bring the questions back through the chair, just for the purpose of making sure our guests have the ability to respond?
You could restate the question.
8:30 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
I take it, Mr. Laskowski, that you can't give me the name of a single person at the Minister of Public Safety's office whom you spoke to. Is that correct?
8:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
Sir, I do not see why names are relevant.
8:30 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
That isn't for you to say. Only I need to know why I'm asking the question. Your job is to answer it, Mr. Laskowski. That's why you're here today.
Am I wrong? Did you not know you were going to have to answer questions?
8:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
I've done these meetings for almost 30 years, sir. No one has ever asked me to name someone.
8:30 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
You are appearing for the first time before the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency, a joint committee of the House of Commons and the Senate created to review the use of the Emergencies Act in February of this year, Mr. Laskowski. Don't tell me you've been doing this for 30 years, because this is the first time a meeting like this has taken place.
You were told that you would have to answer questions, were you not?
8:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
Correct, and this is the first time in 30 years someone has—