Evidence of meeting #108 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was documents.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
This is typical Liberal obstruction. It's all part of a cover-up.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Mr. Chahal, I want you to go through the chair on this, okay? Don't go through Mr. Cooper.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
You have a point of order that you're raising. State your point of order succinctly, please, and then we'll go from there.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
George Chahal Liberal Calgary Skyview, AB
If I'm allowed to do so, I will raise my point of order succinctly.
I'd like to know what the relevance of the questioning provided by Mr. Cooper is, because this has nothing to do with the RCMP.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Mr. Chahal, I've been chairing this committee for 18 months now. In every circumstance when we've had discussions at this committee, I've given members broad latitude to discuss and ask questions that they feel are relevant to the situation, with the expectation that they're going to bring it back.
You're not issuing a point of order. Your point of order is actually very subjective.
Mr. Cooper, you have the floor. Go ahead, please. You have 53 seconds.
Thank you for your point of order, Mr. Chahal.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Thank you.
None other than two days before your infamous phone call with Jody Wilson-Raybould, in which you raised the issue of jobs and SNC moving, the CEO had publicly stated that SNC-Lavalin was committed to staying in Montreal.
Why did you tell Jody Wilson-Raybould that jobs were on the line and there was a risk of SNC moving its headquarters when you had to have known that this simply wasn't true?
11:55 a.m.
Jarislowsky Chair in Public Sector Management, University of Ottawa, As an Individual
That was my understanding at the time. The law that Parliament created in terms of deferred prosecution agreements—
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
How is it possible that this could have been your understanding at the time—
11:55 a.m.
Jarislowsky Chair in Public Sector Management, University of Ottawa, As an Individual
Will you let me finish, Mr. Cooper?
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
11:55 a.m.
Jarislowsky Chair in Public Sector Management, University of Ottawa, As an Individual
Will you let me finish?
11:55 a.m.
Jarislowsky Chair in Public Sector Management, University of Ottawa, As an Individual
You're badgering.
11:55 a.m.
Jarislowsky Chair in Public Sector Management, University of Ottawa, As an Individual
You're badgering.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
—thank you for your line of questioning. That concludes your time.
We'll now go to Mr. Bains for five minutes.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
March 19th, 2024 / 11:55 a.m.
Liberal
George Chahal Liberal Calgary Skyview, AB
Once again, I just want to acknowledge that the witness is here to answer the questions, not to be interrupted by the member asking the questions. If you ask a question, allow the witness to provide an answer.
I'd ask Mr. Cooper to apologize—