Evidence of meeting #38 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was old.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Claude Benoit  President and Chief Executive Officer, Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc.
Gerry Weiner  Chairman of the Board, Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc.

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON

And you don't want to share it with us. All right, that's fine.

I would suggest that you're probably well paid for what you do. We've heard about how you booked conference meetings at Mont Tremblant, despite the fact that you've got wonderful conference facilities right where you are, and charged that to the taxpayers. We know that you have a vehicle benefit that's roughly $1,000 a month. A lot of Canadians don't have that. I don't have that. I think that's a pretty good benefit.

We've heard about your trip. I'm particularly disturbed to hear that you toured these facilities. These weren't set meetings. This wasn't official business. This was a vacation.

For example, in 2006 I did a cruise as well. I went around Italy. I saw the Vatican; I saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which has a beautiful church right beside it that you never see in the pictures. I saw all kinds of things. I could have put it on Twitter, although Mr. Angus might not like that, and I'm not much of a tweeter, to be honest with you. That might have inspired some people, but I paid for that myself.

My message to you is quite simple. Millions of Canadian taxpayers will look at a 29-day trip to Australia, and I would argue it was an excuse to put through on the taxpayers a significant portion of the expenses for a personal trip—there was no justifiable cause for it. I think you're well paid, and in the future, pay for your own vacations.

I have nothing further, Mr. Chair.

11:55 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Pierre-Luc Dusseault

Do you wish to respond?

Noon

President and Chief Executive Officer, Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc.

Claude Benoit

I would not like to leave you as parliamentarians with the impression that I took 29 vacation days at government expense. That is not true. I was out of the country working for 10 days, as approved by the chairman of the board. Then I wrote reports that served to further the interests of our organization.

Noon

NDP

The Chair NDP Pierre-Luc Dusseault

Ms. Benoit, my sincere thanks for coming to testify before the committee and for being so open.

That concludes the first hour. We will suspend for a few minutes to let Mr. Weiner come in. Then he will make a presentation too.

Noon

NDP

The Chair NDP Pierre-Luc Dusseault

We now resume the session. My thanks to the Honourable Gerry Weiner for joining us today. We will proceed as we did with Ms. Benoit. There will be 10 minutes for the presentation and then a question and answer period.

Without further delay, I give the floor to Mr. Weiner.

May 10th, 2012 / noon

Gerry Weiner Chairman of the Board, Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Distinguished colleagues or former colleagues, it is a real pleasure to be back on the Hill.

The adrenalin starts to flow.

I spent about nine years in this room and in caucus meetings every Wednesday morning.

It wasn't always easy to caucus here, but I'm deeply appreciative of the opportunity to be here with my former colleagues. I have probably visited many of your ridings, and I will continue to wish you well in the important task you have, because I believe that Parliament is at the centre of our citizenship.

Je vous remercie. I thank you for what you do.

Like the president and chief executive officer of the Old Port of Montreal, Madame Claude Benoit, I would also like to thank the committee for its invitation so we can set the record straight and attest to the sound management of the Old Port.

It is worth pointing out that the Old Port of Montreal is a government corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canada Lands Company. In accordance with its incorporating act, statutes, and regulations, the board of directors of the Old Port of Montreal Corporation is appointed by its shareholder, the Canada Lands Company, whereas its senior management, including the chief executive officer and the board's chair, is appointed by the corporation's board of directors.

Moreover, although it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canada Lands Company, the Old Port of Montreal reports directly to the appropriate minister for its obligations regarding accountability and financial management. Its business plans, budgets, and annual reports, including its financial statements, are audited by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.

The board's members come from private corporations and the public sector. With their varied profiles and experience, they make a significant contribution to the board and to the organization.

The responsibility for monitoring the business management of a government corporation comprises the following four major aspects: establishing the corporation's strategic direction, protecting resources, controlling results, and being accountable to the government.

The Old Port of Montreal Corporation's board assumes its responsibilities diligently and more specifically performs the following duties.

It participates in developing and approving the corporation's strategic direction and at the end of this exercise approves the business plan.

It protects the corporation's resources, studying and approving all important decisions affecting its assets.

It approves operating budgets and annual investments.

It monitors the corporation's results, and, to this end, periodically receives and examines financial reports prepared by management, internal audit reports, as well as annual reports issued by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.

It ensures the required information is provided to the appropriate minister, including business plans, annual budgets, and annual reports.

To assist it with these tasks, the board of the Old Port of Montreal also relies on the support of two board committees: the audit committee and the human resource committee.

The board also acts as the custodian of a national heritage site: a praised cultural institution and a major international recreational destination.

We are responsible for following the direction established by the community during the public consultation of 1985-86. The relevance of the development principles that emerged from that process was again confirmed in 2001-02 when we reviewed the corporation and the mandate. These principles include free public access and development that is in line with community needs, supporting the vision for the transformation of our neighbourhood and the city's plans. It is development that preserves the heritage character of the site and its architectural and maritime assets. It is a development vision that remains under public control and encourages participation by levels of government.

The board of the Old Port of Montreal assumes all these responsibilities with rigour and honesty. For this reason, the members of the Old Port of Montreal, the board and I, were outraged by the allegations made by the QMI Agency and published in le Journal de Montréal. We're outraged by the relentlessly malicious nature of the attack. We're outraged by the unfairness of the remarks and outraged by the falsehoods, half-truths, and insinuations we read. We vigorously denounce the hatchet job to which the Old Port of Montreal and its CEO were subjected.

The Old Port of Montreal is a model business partner and as such it upholds rigorous business ethics and vigilantly oversees all the business agreements it signs. Our books are open, and our management is transparent, subject to serious scrutiny by serious organizations.

Whether it is a decision concerning concessionaires in breach of contract, or business trips taken by the president to represent or raise the profile of the Old Port of Montreal abroad, or to bring back innovative new practices or business decisions concerning its staff or volunteers, or lastly, the development of the urban beach, an integral part of the Old Port's development vision, we fully support the management and decisions of the Old Port of Montreal, its president and CEO, and her management team.

We have full confidence in our president and her team. Claude Benoit has an impeccable, exemplary record. She has dedicated her life to the Old Port and to her team. She works in their best interests and would never do anything to tarnish their reputation. She has seen the Old Port grow into Canada's second largest recreation and tourist site and the largest in Quebec. Our science centre has become the envy of the country, with blockbuster exhibitions presented every year for the past three years. Ms. Benoit is a highly dedicated, intelligent, and trustworthy officer who has the unanimous support of our board of directors.

The management team has succeeded in asserting the corporation's importance and establishing the Old Port at the top of the list of leading international attractions. This has been possible because of Ms. Benoit's extensive network, which she has developed at conventions, training sessions, and tours of comparable sites and facilities.

To be among the best, you must travel and discover comparable models and inspiration from among the best of what is out there. For 30 years, the Old Port of Montreal Corporation has protected the unique heritage of its site, where much of Canada's and Quebec's history unfolded. The birthplace of Montreal, where aboriginal and European societies first came face to face, gateway to the Lachine Canal, transportation hub, and genesis of Canada's shipping trade, the Old Port borders Old Montreal, one of the most emblematic and best-preserved 19th century historical districts in North America.

The development of the Old Port has had a spectacular impact on the rebirth of Old Montreal and has proven to be a major driver in Montreal's economic development. The $452 million invested by the federal, provincial, and municipal governments has contributed to generating investments totalling $2.4 billion in the south sector of downtown Montreal.

In conclusion, on behalf of the Old Port of Montreal, I would like to reiterate the board's confidence in the corporation's management, as well as our pride as directors to be associated with this outstanding institution. If, following the special audit, the Auditor General recommends improvements or solutions for better governance, we will implement them quickly, as we have done in the past. In the meantime, we maintain that our policies and procedures are effective and adequate. They have been implemented over the years at the behest of the Treasury Board, our internal auditors, and the Office of the Auditor General, following numerous reviews.

Distinguished colleagues or former colleagues, I am here to answer your questions.

Thank you very much.

12:10 p.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Pierre-Luc Dusseault

Thank you.

The honour of the first seven minutes in the question and answer period goes to Mr. Boulerice.

Please go ahead.

12:10 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for being here today, Mr. Weiner.

We are concerned by a number of very serious matters. If you are outraged, you are not alone. We are too. I would like to put a few things into perspective. You were a member of the Conservative Party for almost 10 years and you are known as a fundraiser for the ADQ and the Conservative Party.

You supported Mr. Harper in the Conservative leadership race. In April 2009, you gave $1,000 to the Conservative riding association in Laval-Les Îles. Two months later, you were appointed as chairman of the board of the Old Port of Montréal Corporation.

Are you one of a number of the Conservative government's patronage appointments?

12:10 p.m.

Chairman of the Board, Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc.

Gerry Weiner

Mr. Chair, I am a pharmacist by profession. I have worked in our communities health care services for 50 years. I am a former mayor of Dollard-des-Ormeaux and I am still a pharmacist by profession. Perhaps you should ask the people of Dollard-des-Ormeaux if I have done anything. I was co-chair of the Dollard-des-Ormeaux and Pierrefonds library system. I have a lot of experience in my community. I am also president of the Centre for Literacy of Quebec, a member of a hospital board and, really—

12:10 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Weiner, we are getting off the topic a little.

12:10 p.m.

Chairman of the Board, Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc.

Gerry Weiner

I would like to give you a complete answer. Perhaps you think that I have not had a very meaningful career, but I am still working today. I invite people to come to Canada. I give speeches inviting them to come to Montreal, to Quebec and to Canada. I think that they feel there is some value in the love and emotion I feel for my country.

12:10 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Weiner, my impression is that you are a perfect example of a patronage appointment. Leaving aside the link with the Conservative Party, we can see, as we look at the way in which you oversee expenses at the Old Port of Montréal Corporation, that it is certainly not your skills that led you there. You were Mr. Housakos' boss before he was appointed a senator by Mr. Harper's government. We know that Mr. Housakos, as well as Dimitri Soudas, the communications director, were involved in controversy and scandal for appointing Robert Abdallah to the board of the Old Port of Montréal Corporation. What was your role in that scandal, the nomination controversy, together with Mr. Housakos and Mr. Soudas? You were Mr. Housakos' former boss. You know him well.

12:10 p.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Pierre-Luc Dusseault

Just before Mr. Weiner responds, let me remind members of the committee that the topic of our study is the expenses of the Old Port of Montréal Corporation. I hope that we will stick to the topic as closely as possible. Thank you.

12:15 p.m.

Chairman of the Board, Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc.

Gerry Weiner

Mr. Chair, I have never had a single meal with Mr. Soudas. In all honesty, I can say that, in 1984, I had a team of 2,000 or 3,000 people working with me. Subsequently, some of those people came with me to Ottawa to help me as a member of Parliament, and then as a minister in the federal government.

I have no embarrassment that Senator Housakos....

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Thank you, Mr. Weiner.

A few minutes ago, Ms. Benoit confirmed to us that you were responsible for approving expenses. How can it be said that you managed things responsibly when you approved 10 days of work in Australia and New Zealand, thousands of dollars for lunch, luxurious retreats in Mont Tremblant, meals of duck confit and car allowances of $20,000 per year? You are responsible for all those extravagant expenses.

12:15 p.m.

Chairman of the Board, Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc.

Gerry Weiner

Mr. Chair, before I accept that entire responsibility, I want to say that the former chairman put the system in place, and I completely agree with him. Since I have been the chairman of the board, the system has been tightened. We have five professionals with a great deal of experience who sit on our audit and human resources committees. Let me give you one clear example. Now we have criteria. Each time that the president wants to travel more than 1,000 km, it must be approved by the chairman of the board. Previously, there may just have been a discussion between the president and the chief executive officer.

I am just saying that all travel....

Let me explain what we have put in place.

In 2009 a guideline was put in place that every trip of over 1,000 kilometres must be authorized by the president and approved. Prior to that there was a discussion between the president and the CEO.

Having reviewed the benefits and some of the things that took place...I'm looking at a Star Wars exhibition this summer that will be ongoing. It will be the biggest blockbuster exhibition we'll have, and it will tour 250 cities after us. I'm looking at an urban beach—

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Weiner, we have no problem with the Star Wars exhibition. My children loved it. We are discussing your excessive expenses. You have just said that you are in agreement with the decisions made by the previous chairman of the board. I am very happy to hear that, but I am not sure that it helps you very much in the present situation. The Auditor General is now going to examine the expenses. Ms. Ambrose is going to launch that examination. Is that not a failure of your management work and your oversight of the expenses?

12:15 p.m.

Chairman of the Board, Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc.

Gerry Weiner

It is very clear that you have to separate operational expenses and budgets from capital and discretionary expenditures. Operational budgets are covered by a budget that's presented and a plan that is approved. That plan and budget are then followed very carefully and progressively by an audit committee to make sure they are kept within the range of how the expenses were planned to be spent. All of that is deposited with the federal government and receives its approval.

As far as I'm concerned, I am the overseer. The role of the board of directors is to be vigilant, watchful, and make sure that expenses are within the mandate and mission of the Old Port. Capital expenditures—

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Weiner, I have one last question because we are running short on time.

12:15 p.m.

Chairman of the Board, Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc.

Gerry Weiner

—were in from the beginning. Operating expenses are the purview of the CEO of the corporation.

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

I have one last question for you.

Earlier, Ms. Claude Benoit told us that you manage things strictly, responsibly and transparently. Thank you for answering our questions this morning. However, since we are talking about transparency, we also know, from reporters and other media people, that you rather have a tendency to decline interviews and to hide. Are you going to answer everyone's questions today?

12:15 p.m.

Chairman of the Board, Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc.

Gerry Weiner

Mr. Chair, in almost 30 years in public life, I have never hidden. I have always been available. No reporters have called me. However, my number is in the phone book, as it was for all those years when I was a member of Parliament, a mayor or a councillor. I have not received a call from a reporter wanting to ask questions. If someone wants to ask me a question, I am ready to answer.

12:20 p.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Pierre-Luc Dusseault

Thank you, Mr. Weiner.

I now give the floor to Mr. Del Mastro, who has seven minutes.

12:20 p.m.

Conservative

Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON

Thank you, Mr. Weiner, for your appearance here today.

Mr. Weiner, when were you appointed to your current position?

12:20 p.m.

Chairman of the Board, Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc.

Gerry Weiner

It was on June 26, 2009. I remember. It was my birthday.