Evidence of meeting #17 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.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
So anything they would have learned from you, they could have known by finding these German newspapers or by reading periodicals here in Canada?
4:10 p.m.
As an Individual
Yes, sir.
One time, I do remember—it was very funny—Fraser Fiegenwald phoned me and asked me if I knew Mr. Mulroney's date of birth, and I told him he could look that up in the Canadian Parliamentary Guide.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
Did you ever meet with an official from the Department of Justice?
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
Are you familiar with the name “Ingrid Hutton”?
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
She's a Department of Justice lawyer, or was at the time. Apparently, according to an RCMP affidavit, you met with her, I think on March 20, 2001.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
You never met with her. So the affidavit was actually incorrect.
4:10 p.m.
As an Individual
If the affidavit said that I met with Ingrid Hutton.... The affidavit is absolutely correct, but I've already told you that the affidavit is full of mistakes.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Thank you, Mr. Hiebert.
We've had one round. We're going to do this again.
I am a little concerned that people are asking you about your general opinion, as opposed to your knowledge of facts or attributions to people. I think we should all sharpen up our questions to find out whether there's new information. We're going to assume the books.... They're on the public record.
Maybe I'll simply ask you, since these hearings started and your name became associated with potentially being one of the witnesses—and indeed you're one of the ten, other than the two principals—whether anybody has contacted you and offered you information or made any other statements to you that would influence your appearance before this committee.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Madam, the evidence we have is that you have written books. You've accused people of being involved with a lot of money, money that has gone somewhere, and you say that to date, no one has ever taken legal action against you for some of the statements or writings you've made. Is that correct?
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
When we look at names like Verchere, the two Doucets, Ouellet, Alford, these are people who are familiar to you in your investigative work.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
In your work, were you ever aware of a project in the Caribbean called Lord or Lady Grey's project?
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
You've never heard that name or of money being funnelled down there.
With the witnesses we've had before this committee, we have been surprised to hear their presentations. I think in terms of your investigation, you found some of them very evasive about money. There's the name Sam Wakim, for example. He's somebody who has been involved, been questioned as an associate of Mulroney, and he seemed to deny a lot of things about where money was going and whether there were special funds set up. Others, apparently, were also very evasive. But more and more we're learning about money here, money there.
Of the evidence you have seen in this committee so far, have you had difficulty in seeing it as truthful, as honest, in terms of the investigations you have made?
4:15 p.m.
As an Individual
I hope you will understand that I haven't been able to watch all the proceedings. I haven't heard.... I have tried to follow them, but I have missed some of them, because I've been working in British Columbia on another book, as you know. I am surprised by the memories of some people, but then, as I'm showing you today, I don't remember everything either.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
So you would think that through memory or whatever, some witnesses were evasive or somewhat misleading as they came before our committee.
4:15 p.m.
As an Individual
I don't think I'm going to express an opinion on that, sir. I think the committee here would probably be in a better position to answer that question.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
You mentioned earlier $300,000 in denominations different from what we have heard before this committee. You talked about $100,000, $100,000, $50,000, and $50,000. Do you have any more information in terms of that? Was that from the Bear Head account?