Evidence of meeting #86 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 friend.
A video is available from Parliament.
11:20 a.m.
As an Individual
The Prime Minister had lawyers, and there were some submissions made by the lawyers, as I think I mentioned.
Part of my process.... Maybe I should just say what the normal process is towards the end of doing a report.
11:20 a.m.
As an Individual
I will have a last interview with the person. I always have a first interview and a second interview, unless the person doesn't want the second interview or I tell them that I don't think it's necessary and they don't care, but usually there's a second interview. After that second interview, I then sort of team back and finalize my facts. When I'm ready and I think the facts are complete, I will share them with the person who is alleged to have contravened. They are then given a couple of weeks to come back and tell me whether they think there's anything I've misrepresented or if they think there's an additional little thing that is necessary to add, or something. Many don't, and some do.
After that happens, I then team back again and take into account any comments they make, because of course due process underpins all of this. I then proceed to finalize my analysis and the report. I have an editor, and it gets edited. Then it goes to translation, and then it's released.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Peter Kent Conservative Thornhill, ON
Then the Prime Minister was well aware, weeks before Parliament rose in December, of the fundamental findings in the report?
11:20 a.m.
As an Individual
I always have in my reports the position of the person who is alleged to have contravened, which they check as well.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Peter Kent Conservative Thornhill, ON
Did you or your office receive any communications from the Prime Minister's Office or the Privy Council Office, or from lawyers, concerning the timing of the eventual release of the report?
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Peter Kent Conservative Thornhill, ON
One of the elements of the report that hasn't received a great deal of discussion involved your findings regarding the bilateral meeting with the Aga Khan, from which you found the Prime Minister should have recused himself but which he justified on the basis that he considered himself to be there only to build relationships and not in an official capacity.
I'm just wondering whether we should be concerned—whether Canadians should be concerned—that this may extend to his attitude with regard to compliance with the Conflict of Interest Act when others are seeking favours or funding from the Government of Canada. Did he not consider himself as responsible as all other MPs and public office holders are to the articles of the Conflict of Interest Act?
11:25 a.m.
As an Individual
You know, I don't think there's much I can say in response to that statement. I know that it's a political discussion point. I think he has certainly taken cognizance of the decision that was made in this report and I think it will have an effect on his thinking.
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
January 10th, 2018 / 11:25 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Thank you, Chair.
Good morning, Ms. Dawson. As I mentioned to you just before we got started, I'm of course interested in the largest report you've ever done and in some of its findings and the learning we can take from what happened, not just in this instance but also in going forward as parliamentarians.
I thank you for accepting the committee's invitation. Hopefully, you have found the discourse civil and it will stay that way for our time together.
11:25 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I'll do my best. I foresee no reason why not.
I want to circle back to something that exists within the act. If I or a member of Parliament were to receive a gift that was deemed inappropriate, I could pay it back within 30 days, I think you said.
11:25 a.m.
As an Individual
Unless you had eaten it, or something, I suppose you could pay—
11:25 a.m.
As an Individual
Basically, the funny thing in our act is that the penalties are for failures to meet deadlines, and there's a deadline of 30 days to tell me that you've received a certain gift. If somebody receives a gift and then thinks, “Oh, my God, I shouldn't have received this gift”, and they decide they'll pay for it, then it sort of erases itself.
