Thank you very much, Chair.
Again, thank you to Member of Parliament Angus for his intervention.
I just want to repeat this last sentence before I continue to the next paragraph. I've jotted down a few notes on the political expedition or fishing trip, or the order of the day, it seems, for the opposition.
CAE Inc.'s Michael Fortier is a former CPC senator and minister of PWGSC. His company, CAE Inc., received a contract for ventilators for some $282.5 million. Again, I ask the committee, does this mean this committee should drag Mr. Fortier and his company before us? I believe, Mr. Chair, the answer is no. I would suggest not, because that would be, I think, in my humble opinion, abuse of the committee's power.
Now take a look at Medicom's Shawn Fried, director of business development, former chief of staff to the CPC minister of state for finance. In August, Medicom entered into a contract with the Government of Canada valued at $382 million over a 10-year term. Medicom is focused primarily on making N95 respirators and other key PPE items. Mr. Fried, however, has donated multiple times over the past several years.
Mr. Chair, there is no issue, and I encourage Canadians to participate in the political process in whatever manner they wish to do so, and are able to do so, whether it's volunteering their time or making donations to political parties. I encourage them considerably.
Mr. Fried has donated multiple times over the past several years: $1,200 in 2013, $1,000 in 2012, $1,100 in 2011, $500 in 2010, $1,100 in 2009, $1,820 in 2008. Colleagues, should we have this individual come before us to talk about his contracts and his past involvement with the Conservative Party of Canada? How appropriate would that be to have him here? The fact is it would not be appropriate at all. In fact, it would be inappropriate.
However, I do not think this concept has sunk in for my colleagues across the aisle yet, so I'm going to continue on with a few more examples because I think this context is very important for FTI and for Baylis Medical.