Evidence of meeting #5 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 schreiber.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Gérard Asselin Bloc Manicouagan, QC
You showed yourself to be generous in paying for the transportation to the convention of delegates who supported Mulroney.
Bloc
Gérard Asselin Bloc Manicouagan, QC
In your view, was it easier to advance specific interests or personal interests under Mr. Mulroney's reign rather than under Joe Clark's?
As an Individual
You see, this is exactly why I said to you the thing is so complex. I am really prepared to explain all this to you, but when you have questions where you jump from one that was in 1980-1981 and the next question is from 2007, it would be a miracle if I were able to answer all of them. When I have something like this in front of me, it's simple.
What I did was donate money to the president of the Conservative Party. This was Mr. Frank Moores at the time. There was a group—especially Mr. Walter Wolf, who claimed to be a very close friend to Mr. Mulroney.... He was the one, by the way, who introduced me to Mr. Moores and to Mr. Mulroney.
Bloc
Gérard Asselin Bloc Manicouagan, QC
Have you or your company contributed financially to the Canadian Alliance or the Reform Party?
Bloc
Gérard Asselin Bloc Manicouagan, QC
This might help you remember. Since 1993, with the appearance on the scene of the Reform Party, with the decline of the Conservative Party, with the possibility that the Reform Party or the Canadian Alliance take power, before the merger with the Conservatives, did you not find that there was a certain interest...
Gérard Asselin Bloc Manicouagan, QC
... in contributing financially to the Canadian Alliance or the Reform Party?
Bloc
Gérard Asselin Bloc Manicouagan, QC
The money that was paid out to Mr. Mulroney was for two initiatives: first an initiative relating to the pasta factory and, secondly, an initiative concerning the purchase of armoured vehicles.
Is that the case?
As an Individual
I repeat myself: pasta had nothing to do with it.
It was the light armoured vehicle.
Bloc
Gérard Asselin Bloc Manicouagan, QC
Which means that, if you are rejecting outright any involvement in the pasta factory, you are not rejecting any involvement in the lobbying for and the purchase of armoured vehicles.
As an Individual
No, it was about the Bear Head project that I was supposed to realize on behalf of the Thyssen company in Cape Breton; that's what it was all about. I spoke with Mr. Mulroney about this from 1983, 1984, or 1985, constantly, because I was the chairman of the company.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Thank you, Mr. Asselin.
Colleagues, it is the normal time of adjournment. We are near the end of the second round. To be equitable to all members, I would like to hear from the NDP and the Liberals, which will complete the second round, and then we'll go on.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
This will just be for ten minutes, so that all parties will have equal time. I think it's fair. It's in good faith.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
No, we are in the second round of questioning here. We had a full round of seven minutes. We've had most of the second round of five minutes, except for the NDP and the Liberals. I would like to complete that, and then we will adjourn, if that's all right with the members.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Is there a motion someone would like to make that we hear the last two speakers? Is someone prepared to move that we hear the last two people of the second round?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Mr. Dhaliwal moved that. I think it's all understood.
(Motion agreed to)
