Evidence of meeting #6 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.
As an Individual
No. But you see, madame, why Airbus, as I've told you, was a deal between Franz Josef Strauss, François Mitterrand, and, as much as I know, Brian Mulroney.
I received great laughs when the story came out that Brian Mulroney was involved with Airbus. This comes later in a very funny way, when somebody told me Air Canada was a Liberal property. If Mulroney had just shown up five miles away from Air Canada, he would have done the opposite from everything he wanted.
No, the first time I heard that Mulroney could have been in any way involved in this was when Fred Doucet asked me one day.... I have to say this a little bit better. There was always a fight between the Doucets and Frank Moores and Gary Ouellet. But you see, they were shareholders, and the money that came to Switzerland, to the account, belonged to the shareholders of GCI. Fred Doucet always wanted to know from me whether the figures he received from Frank Moores were correct, if this was exactly the money that came there. I did not want to be involved in this, so I said, leave me alone; speak to Moores. I cannot go into your internal business. And then he said, I want you to make sure that from this account money will be transferred to a law firm in Geneva--
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
I just want to know where the money that was in the Britan account came from.
As an Individual
This came from an account rubric, which was called Frankfurt, which stood for Frank Moores and GCI. But it was my account, right, and a rubric in my account. I had reserved this money because Mulroney was leaving and nothing had been done with Bear Head Industries. I was still hanging around, and I felt horrible towards Thyssen because of all the money they had spent. I had left this portion of money for me to make sure that I could continue.
Liberal
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Thank you, Chair.
I have very little time, Mr. Schreiber, so let us be brief in the answers. We could meet later, perhaps, for coffee, and that would be nice.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Schreiber, your lawyer testified in Germany—and he said again here in Canada—that you had distributed about $10 million to Canadians in trying to influence politicians. Is this true?
As an Individual
My lawyer testified somewhere? I'm not aware of that.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Well, let me ask directly, then: was André Ouellet paid by you or any of your associates, while he was a cabinet minister, to lobby inside the Chrétien PCO, or PMO, about the Bear Head—
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
André Ouellet at that time would have been Minister of Foreign Affairs, I believe.
As an Individual
No.
I think I saw him the first time with the Atlantic Bölkow organization. I think he was a member of that.
As an Individual
I recall that I gave him a courtesy visit one day in his constituency office. That's all. The rest was done by Thyssen officials; I never met with him again.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Why would André Ouellet still be lobbying for Bear Head during 1995-96? Do you believe that Thyssen was lobbying him?
As an Individual
Yes. Mr. Massmann was the one who took over, and there was a very simple reason. Since I was so exposed with DND during the Mulroney time, it didn't make any sense for me to go there. So I took myself back, and Mr. Massmann, who was the president, took over with Mr. Alford, and they visited the people.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I see.
in the dying days of the 1993 election campaign, records show in Germany that $500,000 was transferred into the bank account titled MARC. Can you tell us what that stands for?
As an Individual
Yes. The account was set up originally to make sure that Mr. Lalonde would work for us, for Thyssen. Then I was told that I had nothing to do with this, since all the things had changed. So if anything went on, it all went on directly between Thyssen and Marc Lalonde, and I had nothing to do with it. I was told the money was for other purposes; they took it back from me, and that was it.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Marc Lalonde just went your bail today. Is that true? Is he still actively...?
As an Individual
I think so, yes. I love him; he is a wonderful person.
