Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Chair and members of the committee, thank you for inviting me today.
I would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight. There has been considerable conjecture and innuendo in the media over the past couple of months. I understand why that is the case, but I'm here to provide you with the facts. I'm confident that a fair reading of those facts will confirm that the public conjecture is misplaced.
I have known the Honourable Randy Boissonnault since 2009. I count him as a close friend. Over the past 15 years, we have occasionally worked together. We did so before he was elected to public office. After the 2019 election, when Mr. Boissonnault was again a private citizen, we collaborated on projects in 2020 and 2021.
One of our clients included the Edmonton International Airport, whom I have acted for since 2018, before they'd even met Minister Boissonnault. Both Xennex and, later, Navis Group registered as lobbyists in compliance with the requirements of the federal Lobbying Act and the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct. Minister Boissonnault was a shareholder of Xennex, but it's important for this committee to understand that he was not involved in its lobbying activities. He did not help me engage or set up meetings with the federal government during his time as a private citizen, in compliance with his cooling-off period. The core of Xennex and the core of Navis Group is strategy consulting.
In the fall of 2021, Minister Boissonnault was re-elected to public office. At this time, Xennex ceased its day-to-day business operations. To address his compliance obligations under the Conflict of Interest Act, Mr. Boissonnault fully disclosed the Xennex operations. He appointed me as the director of Xennex to manage his business. This arrangement and my own lobbying activities have been regularly and thoroughly disclosed to the Ethics Commissioner. Since the fall of 2021, Xennex has been inactive and merely holds investments. Xennex has not lobbied the federal government. My responsibility as the director is limited to annual returns and tax filings.
I continued my work with the Edmonton International Airport. Here again I would note that my work with the airport predates the engagement of Xennex and Minister Boissonnault. This airport work is conducted through my own company, Navis Group. Minister Boissonnault has no financial interest in Navis Group, and has not done anything to advance the work of Navis Group. He has made no introductions and never intervened on our behalf or on behalf of our clients.
The media speculation has focused on two issues. I want to speak to them here.
First, in March and June 2022, I took meetings with the staff in Minister Freeland's office. During this time, Minister Boissonnault served as the tourism minister and the Associate Minister of Finance. The staff I met with reported to Minister Freeland and did not report to Minister Boissonnault in any way whatsoever. To use the language of the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct, these staff would have had no “sense of obligation” to me, even had they been aware of my connection to Minister Boissonnault. To be clear, I in no way told staff about this connection or otherwise used my connection to Minister Boissonnault to advance the file. I reported these meetings in the Registry of Lobbyists at the time. I'm confident that a fair review of the facts will conclude that I've complied with all of my obligations under the Lobbying Act.
Second, Minister Boissonnault has made public disclosures about outstanding business revenues from my company, Navis, to his company, Xennex. To be clear, the payments received by Xennex from Navis since Minister Boissonnault's re-election are related to contracts received while Minister Boissonnault was a private citizen, before his re-election. He has no economic interest in, has not been involved in and has not received payments for any contracts following his re-election. The suggestion or innuendo that Minister Boissonnault somehow had an economic interest in the outcome of the work that was before the government while being a minister of that government is entirely without merit and factually incorrect. The amount owing to Xennex was an obligation entirely unconnected to the outcome of the engagement. No intervention that Minister Boissonnault made would have affected the amount he received.
I am proud of the business I have built. My success is due to my own hard work. The conjecture that Minister Boissonnault is the reason for any success I've had is frankly false and disheartening. I have never lobbied Minister Boissonnault, his staff or his associates, and he has not helped me in any of these matters. I take my compliance seriously, as does the minister, and I am proud of the work I have done.
I look forward to your questions.
Thank you.