Evidence of meeting #7 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 letter.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Did I hear you right when you said that you wanted to know how much money GCI had paid Mr. Mulroney around that time?
As an Individual
No, I didn't get an answer. They told me that I should stay away from that. This is why I have called for an inquiry.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Thank you, Chair.
Mr. Schreiber, just to build off Madame Lavallée's line of questioning, you mentioned that you were surprised when Fred Doucet mentioned Airbus and Mulroney. You said, what could Mr. Mulroney have to do with Airbus?
Is it not true, or were you aware, that he replaced 13 of the 15 members of the board of directors of Air Canada with his own Conservative appointments, one of whom was Frank Moores? At the same time that Frank Moores was the senior lobbyist for Airbus, he was plunked onto the board of directors of Air Canada. Were you aware of that arrangement going on?
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I'll just leave it at that for now, then.
Mr. Schreiber, in another document--and thank you for the pile of documents. We didn't quite get what we wanted for Christmas, but we got something.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
It's only a road map. Well, we're struggling to find our way down the road map.
In your letter of October 25 that you sent to Vic Toews, Minister of Justice—this is the document you sent—you're more or less introducing yourself to him and asking for his consideration; in 2006, this is.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Mr. Martin, so that other members could access that, could you give a date or a proper reference?
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I'm sorry.
Dated October 25, 2006, it's a letter to the Honourable Vic Toews, who was Minister of Justice at the time, and copied to Stephen Harper.
Is this costing me time? I hope not.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
No. I think it's in our interest to make sure that all members know what document you're dealing with, and the translators as well. I think they don't have a copy. If you're going to read from it, please keep it at normal speed.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Certainly. I'll be very brief.
You're just introducing yourself, I suppose, as an upstanding international conservative, etc.
You say, “I don't want to drop names...but it might be that we share some friends.” And then you list some people he may want to speak to. In other words, as a reference, it's quite a long list. One of them is Lee Richardson, who is currently a member. Another is Peter MacKay, the current Minister of Defence.
What about your relationship with Peter MacKay would lead you to believe that he would sign a letter of reference for you or act to stand up for you?
As an Individual
The whole letter...when I wrote to Mr. Toews--I may remind you that he was the first Conservative Minister of Justice when the government took over--my expectation was, and I have said this several times, that now the Conservatives are going to do what they wanted for 12 years: have an inquiry. I waited for this. I mean, I begged for this.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Did you not also hope, though, that when Brian Mulroney went to speak to Mr. Harper, you might get some satisfaction on your extradition?
As an Individual
The inquiry, sir—and you will see this pretty soon—will bring all this to light. I would not have a problem with extradition if the Canadian Minister of Justice was not involved, together with the Germans, against me.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I'm going to run out of time shortly. Is it possible that Vic Toews wanted you out of the country because there was some connection with what happened in Manitoba, with the overthrow of the NDP government in Manitoba?
Do you know a man named Derek Hannaford, who headed up the privatization commission for the Conservative Party?