Evidence of meeting #131 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 proud.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Lawyer and Director, Ontario Proud
Any information that we may have in our possession will not be transferred.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Really? Okay. I guess one person's misinformation is in the eye of the beholder. The idea that you would gather.... Why would you engage in a voter identification campaign with cell numbers and voter intentions, and then not use it?
I will move on from that. I want to follow up on this question about Olivia. You said that the vendor would know. We've asked whether Olivia exists. Will you ask the vendor to give us evidence, or do we have to ask the vendor to come here to tell us whether Olivia exists?
Lawyer and Director, Ontario Proud
I've taken note of your question. I will consider it. Thank you.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
It's not about considering it. I'm asking for you to confirm whether Olivia is a real person. If she is, what role does she play at Ontario Proud?
If she's someone who worked at Tim Hortons, and as you were walking in you said, “Hey, that's a great name. Let's use her name,” I want to know that. She supposedly ran a massive voter ID campaign in the last week of the Ontario election. Who is she? Will you tell us that, or do we have to ask the vendor to come here to tell us?
Lawyer and Director, Ontario Proud
It's an individual from the vendor. The vendor would have that information.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Okay, so do we have to formally ask the vendor to get that information?
Lawyer and Director, Ontario Proud
Is this relevant to your consideration of—
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
It is very relevant to our consideration. Don't you think that if you run a campaign by putting somebody's name out there and getting personal information on a major political issue, whether she exists or doesn't is an issue of concern as to whether you're a credible political organization or this was some massive troll organization?
Either Olivia exists or she doesn't. You should be able to tell us that.
Lawyer and Director, Ontario Proud
It's an individual name that the vendor used, so I can't speak further as to who the individual is.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Okay, so you will not. We have to go to the vendor, but you won't tell us who the vendor is.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
So if we ask formally for you to tell us who the vendor is, so that we can find out whether Olivia really exists or it was just a name that came up, would you take that request from us?
NDP
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Zimmer
Thank you, Mr. Angus.
I think you've just been asked to provide some evidence. I would advise you to provide that to the committee. I'd also like to thank you for coming today, Mr. O'Connor.
I'm told this is the second-to-last meeting in this room before this building is closed for 10 years. It's something some of us won't experience again.
We're going to go into committee business, so we'll suspend for about five minutes to get everybody out. Then we'll talk for about five or 10 minutes, and we'll be done for the day.
Conservative
Liberal
Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
It's not for him, but I have a question. I just want to understand something.
Mr. Angus and I have asked certain questions, and I don't understand if he's going to provide answers or not. I haven't been able to follow if he's going to provide that or not. Before we break, I'd like to know what our rights are to force him to provide that information.
I'm not asking a new question, but the questions I've asked have been skated around, and I've seen the same thing happen to Mr. Angus. Is the witness compelled to provide this information, or do we have to put him under oath to compel him to provide it?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Zimmer
I would challenge him right now to provide to the committee any information that he's been asked to provide. If he refuses to do so, then we can take further action.
Is that fair?
Okay, we will suspend for about two minutes.
[Proceedings continue in camera]