Evidence of meeting #117 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 vote.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
Okay. You're subcontracted by WPA to do this work in Ukraine.
11:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, AggregateIQ
No, we just give the tool to WPA.
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
You have no connection with Ukraine or any work done for Ukraine. You're simply working for WPA.
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
Okay.
You know that the CEO of WPA, Chris Wilson, was Ted Cruz's former pollster. He is the principal of WPA, and he's recently appeared on Russian state propaganda to talk about his campaign work.
Were you not concerned in any way that your work was being used in another country, or were you unaware of that?
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
You were contracted by WPA to provide a product and you had no inclination to ask where the product was going to go or how it would be used? Was it just about doing the work and forgetting about the repercussions?
11:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, AggregateIQ
I'm sorry. We provided it. It's simply a tool. It can be licensed by—
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
No, I'm not disagreeing with what you provided. Let's just keep this very simple in business ways. You're a businessman and I'm a businessman. Let's keep it very simple.
You're contracted by somebody to produce a product. The product you're producing is for WPA. WPA is using that product in Ukraine or has business in Ukraine. You never knew that was where the product was going to go, that was where it was going to be used, why it was being used, what purpose it was being used for? You had no idea of any of that?
I get that it's a tool. It's a tool—it's a hammer, it's a screwdriver. I get all of that, but you didn't know where it was going to be used?
11:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, AggregateIQ
No, we knew where it was going to be used.
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
It didn't bother you that this company was doing work in Ukraine for a political party? It didn't occur to you in any way?
11:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, AggregateIQ
No. The tool itself is quite generic. It's a canvassing tool. There's nothing particularly special about it, so that wouldn't bother me.
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
Okay, let's move on to a different question.
It was recently reported that you have developed a script that makes fake work logs. Can you tell me why you developed a script, for which client, whether you have ever used it in Canada, and whether you've ever used it yourself?
11:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, AggregateIQ
Sorry; I'm not a developer, so I don't know and I couldn't actually speak to that.
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
Okay. You don't know that question. Let me ask you another question.
Who is Philippe Traverse? Do you know who he is?
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
What do you suppose he meant when on June 24, 2016, he thanked UKIP for the free money?
11:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, AggregateIQ
I'm sorry, but I don't know. That was well before he started with us as an employee.
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
Yes, but on June 24, 2016, he made a comment in which he thanked UKIP—the United Kingdom Independence Party—for the free money. Do you know what he meant by that? Was it anything to do with Brexit? What money might he be referring to?