Evidence of meeting #14 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was mulroney.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Luc Lavoie  As an Individual
François Martin  As an Individual
Erica Pereira  Committee Clerk, , House of Commons

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

And that happened only once.

5:10 p.m.

As an Individual

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

You know things were written about you.

5:10 p.m.

As an Individual

François Martin

All kinds of things were written.

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

Yes. You've read them, I imagine.

5:10 p.m.

As an Individual

François Martin

Yes and no, but they were also reported to me.

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

Yes, but I imagine you were interested in knowing what was said about you.

5:10 p.m.

As an Individual

François Martin

No, not really.

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

No?

5:10 p.m.

As an Individual

François Martin

No, because it wasn't always the truth.

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

That's precisely what I want to know.

It was said that, according to you, cash fell from the skies at 24 Sussex Drive, didn't it? You remember that, I'm sure.

5:10 p.m.

As an Individual

François Martin

Yes, it's true, it went quickly. I'm from a family of eight children, so there wasn't a lot of extravagance, never-ending expenses. I entered an environment where major expenditures were made, and things went very quickly. So I may have said that, of course.

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

You were especially reported as saying that it was cash that flowed as though it were falling from the sky.

5:10 p.m.

As an Individual

François Martin

No, no. I spent a lot of money, I had open accounts across Ottawa for purchases, but I didn't see any money, physically, flowing at the residence.

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

You obviously organized large receptions. So you needed a big budget to buy high-quality things.

5:10 p.m.

As an Individual

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

When you made those kinds of purchases, it was paid for by the Mulroneys, or by the government?

5:10 p.m.

As an Individual

François Martin

I have no idea. I submitted the invoices and the receipts from my petty cash, but as regards other places where I had open accounts, I signed, and the bill was sent—

5:15 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

It was sent to the government.

5:15 p.m.

As an Individual

François Martin

Probably to the government.

5:15 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

To someone who processed it. So you didn't pay it.

5:15 p.m.

As an Individual

5:15 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

And it wasn't the Mulroneys either.

5:15 p.m.

As an Individual

François Martin

I don't know the administrative mechanism.

5:15 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

It was also reported that you said Mrs. Mulroney regularly asked you to transport thick envelopes containing cash from the prime minister's office. Is that true?