Evidence of meeting #101 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was work.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ
During the referendum, we worked with Vote Leave, BeLeave, Veterans for Britain, and DUP.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Okay.
You were paid, I understand, by BeLeave in the amount of over 600,000 pounds, again directed to an ad spend.
Liberal
Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ
With Veterans for Britain, it was about 100,000 pounds, and with the DUP was about 32,000 pounds.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Okay.
Where did you work out of? Did you work out of the U.K. during the referendum?
Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ
We had a couple of people go there from time to time, but the work was done in Victoria, B.C.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Okay.
I understand that you haven't agreed to co-operate with the U.K. Information Commissioner's inquiry into the use of data during the Brexit referendum. Is that correct?
Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ
No, that's not correct.
On May 17, 2017, the Information Commissioner from the U.K. sent us a letter. We responded on May 24, and then we didn't hear from her again until January 30, 2018, when she sent us a letter and we replied.
Liberal
Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ
We have been co-operating the whole time.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Okay.
You had a number of different campaigns that were all using your services further to the Brexit campaign. Who coordinated and directed the ad spend of each?
Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ
Do you mean from our team or from them?
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
We have your point of contact for the Vote Leave campaign whom you've mentioned already. Who was your point of contact at the BeLeave campaign?
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Okay. Who directed the ad spend for the over 600,000 pounds from BeLeave?
Liberal
Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ
The spending for BeLeave was really in the last six or seven days of the campaign.
Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ
All of the direction and all of the information for that ad spend came from BeLeave.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
There was no coordination, in your view, between the BeLeave and Vote Leave campaigns in directing the ad spend of BeLeave.
Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ
We saw no evidence of any coordination between the two.