Information & Ethics Committee on Dec. 4th, 2020

[Rick Jamieson]

FTI was actually in the process of being created long before this contract was set. The FTI name was actually going to be used for a brake pad business I was starting. We refer to the top-quality brake pads as “professional grade”. FTI stood for Firstline Technology Incorporated, Professional Grade. The company was available, and I used it.

When you start a company with new business, your lawyers and accountants always advise you to use a separate, single-purpose entity. That was the reason the company was incorporated. I wanted a March 31 year-end for the company.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

So, the reason was that you were advised to use a new company to engage this contract.

[Rick Jamieson]

That's correct.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

You provided us the name of one official with whom you communicated. Would you undertake to provide to the committee, in writing following your appearance, the names of other officials from the Government of Canada with whom you have communicated for the purpose of this contract?

[Rick Jamieson]

Sure. Everybody I talked to.... I talked to my contract authority, with PSPC. I had two, Jeff Moore and Sandra Leslie, both competent civil servants.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

I appreciate that, sir. You expressed some hesitation to go through the names, and that's fine. To give you the opportunity to provide a complete answer, if you're comfortable providing them and sending a list to the clerk or the chair—

[Rick Jamieson]

I didn't know I could, so I'm happy to answer your question now if you like.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Okay.

[Rick Jamieson]

As I said, my contract managers were Jeff Moore at PSPC, Michelle Mascoll, Joëlle Paquette. At PHAC, I have had really good relationships with the technical authority, Peter Meireles, and the coordinator of the national stockpile, whose name is Pascale St-Louis, all very competent people.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

That's terrific.

I have one last question for you before I have a couple of quick questions for Mr. Baylis.

FTI is the only company with no medical experience that obtained a contract. What made FTI different?

[Rick Jamieson]

Actually, in terms of medical, I believe the other contracts didn't have medical experience either. There were no contracts...no one making ICU-grade ventilators in Canada.

What we did was a moon shot. We physically did this, as did the other companies, and we've delivered 7,788. You can check to see that. We have delivered by far the most ventilators of anyone bar none.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Thank you for the answer, sir.

Mr. Baylis, with respect to the names that Mr. Jamieson just offered, on hearing them just now, do you know any of those individuals?

[Frank Baylis]

Do you mean, have I heard their names before, or do I know them other than hearing their names?

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

I mean other than hearing their names.

[Frank Baylis]

No. I've heard these names before, but I don't know who they are. Mr. Jamieson would tell me if something was fed back. Actually, Mr. Godara would be the one he would be feeding it back to, so I would be getting it. They were the ones working together very tightly, if I can say that.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Okay.

I have two more questions and just a minute to get them, if I could.

One is, has Baylis Medical had other contracts with the Government of Canada?

My other question is to clarify. You said that you didn't advocate—I'm paraphrasing—on your behalf or V4C with ministers or members. Have you communicated with ministers or members during the pandemic? If so, what was the general nature of those conversations?

[Frank Baylis]

I prepared a list regarding the government contracts, because I assumed that. In 2011—

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Sorry, Mr. Baylis, if you could submit it in writing to the clerk instead of reading it out, that would be fantastic. Then you could answer the last question. I think we just have a couple of seconds left.

[Frank Baylis]

Yes. Sure.

I want to point out one thing on these contracts. We had one after I left, and there were two that we had prior. They were both with the government of Prime Minister Harper, the Conservative government.

One was for developing a device, and the other one was a loan. We were opening a new factory, and we got a loan where we didn't have to pay the.... It was really helpful, because we were opening a new factory. With most loans with banks, you have to start repaying the money right away. With this one, we got the money and we were able to then.... We didn't have to start paying back until a certain window of time, and that window of time—

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Thank you, Mr. Baylis.

You're one of the people who know that time is always our enemy. We have run out of time.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Chair, I appreciate your respecting the committee's time. I just wonder, with respect to those last two questions.... If you find it acceptable, I would like to request that perhaps Mr. Baylis provide a response in writing to the committee, and then we can move on.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Yes. It was my understanding, the way Mr. Baylis had nodded, that he was going to do that.

[Frank Baylis]

Yes, I will, no problem.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

That's with respect to both my questions, conversations and contracts.

[Frank Baylis]

I can answer your other question right now, if you want.