Evidence of meeting #16 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 money.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
[Inaudible--Editor]...this meeting, and you're going to have a shot, and then the Liberals are going to have a shot, is that it? Are you going to take over the Liberals' time in this meeting?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Mr. Tilson, I'm asking you to come to order.
I want to respond to you that I discussed with the clerk and the researchers how we might proceed with this witness. In view of the fact that there is not an opening statement, we made the decision--and I concurred--to get some background information before the questioning so that the members could have an opportunity to have some foundation.
Because this is--
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Mr. Chairman, I have no problem with you introducing the witnesses. What I do have a problem with is what you've been doing more and more--interrupting the proceedings, asking questions, and in fact taking up the time of this committee.
If you wish to do that, you can come back to the bulk of this committee and ask questions. But you can't just take over this meeting.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
No, don't thank me; I'm telling you that you're out of order, Mr. Chairman.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Mr. Tilson, as chair of a committee, I am, as you know, entitled to ask questions.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
I'm not going to get into a debate with you. Come to order, please. Come to order, Mr. Tilson.
We will have a discussion later, Mr. Tilson, after this witness. I need to move on. We have a witness before us now, please.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Well, I've made my point, Mr. Chairman. You're out of order, as you have been for the last two or three meetings.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
You are out of order on this. As I told you at the beginning, this is a debate. I'm glad you've had an opportunity, however, to say your piece.
You know that I have always made sure that every party got their equitable distribution of questions. I'm going to continue to do that. I'm going to defend the rights and the privileges of all members at this table. I made that commitment at the beginning, I've stuck with it, and I will continue to finish with it.
In my judgment--and I have some discretion as chair--I would like to have some foundation background simply for the members' interest so that we can have the most relevant questions possible, sir. So please accept my discretion.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Well, sir, you've got the gavel, and you can do as you like, I guess, but I'm just telling you that you're out of order.
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
We do have business to do and we will continue with our business here.
Mr. Pelossi, I apologize to you for this interruption.
As I indicated to you, I think it may be helpful to the committee if you would provide us a brief description of your relationship with Mr. Karlheinz Schreiber. Could you please proceed?
As an Individual
Yes.
During the first years of our relationship, he asked me to help him finance his company in Germany, and I did it through banks and clients of mine. I did this from 1972 to 1988. I was in charge of all companies he had outside of Germany.
Is that enough for you?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
That's fine, sir.
You also referred to the RCMP interview. I understand they have a VCR tape that is some six hours long. I'm hoping, in our proceedings, that you will be able to relay to the committee members as they ask their questions some of the vital areas on which you were examined by the RCMP. I also understand, sir, that you had identified a number of people to the RCMP whom you knew were involved with the activities of Mr. Schreiber in Canada, and I hope you will be able to tell us the names of those persons whom you recall and the nature of their involvement with Thyssen, or Mr. Schreiber in his Canadian activities.
At this point I will move on to questions by the members. We'll start with Mr. Thibault.
Liberal
Robert Thibault Liberal West Nova, NS
Thank you very much, Mr. Pelossi, for making yourself available to the committee.
You referred, or the chair did, to a six-hour interview with the RCMP. Are you in possession of a copy of that interview, of that tape or transcript?
Liberal
Robert Thibault Liberal West Nova, NS
Thank you.
In an article in 1995 with The Financial Post, you said, and I quote, “...over the course of decades, Mr. Schreiber has paid out tens of millions of dollars in bribes to politicians in Europe and Canada”. Is that correct?
Liberal
Robert Thibault Liberal West Nova, NS
Can you tell us, of the people who received money in Canada, were there politicians involved?
As an Individual
I cannot directly, because I just knew from Mr. Schreiber, but I was never present when he paid it. He just told me all the time, “I have to give some money to...”. But even in Germany, I was not present when he gave the money.
Liberal
Robert Thibault Liberal West Nova, NS
But in Canada, did he tell you the names of the people to whom he gave money?