Evidence of meeting #125 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 anderson.

A recording is available from Parliament.

randy boissonnaultglobal health importstext messagesandersongo aheadmove in cameraethics commissionercompanyamendment

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Kirsten Poon  As an Individual
Stephen Anderson  As an Individual

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Was it a fifty-fifty partnership?

As spoken

11:35 a.m.

As an Individual

Stephen Anderson

That's correct.

As spoken

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

He was not operational.

As spoken

11:35 a.m.

As an Individual

Stephen Anderson

He was operational in 2020 and 2021.

As spoken

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

In the structure of your organization, who reported to whom?

As spoken

11:35 a.m.

As an Individual

Stephen Anderson

Neither—we reported to each other.

As spoken

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Did you report to anybody at any given time?

As spoken

11:35 a.m.

As an Individual

As spoken

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Then you were a principal, he was a principal and it was fifty-fifty.

As spoken

11:35 a.m.

As an Individual

Stephen Anderson

That's correct.

As spoken

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

At the height of your operations, what was the revenue?

As spoken

11:40 a.m.

As an Individual

Stephen Anderson

At the height...$35 million.

As spoken

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Then out of that, what did the compensation look like in dividends between the two owners?

As spoken

11:40 a.m.

As an Individual

Stephen Anderson

I can't speak to his compensation. You would have to ask him that—

As spoken

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Well, I mean, respectfully, you can because you're here as a principal officer—

As spoken

Stephen Anderson

I am a principal, but at the end of the day I would never, respectfully, disclose someone else's—

As spoken

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

What was yours? How about that?

As spoken

11:40 a.m.

As an Individual

Stephen Anderson

It was $220,000.

As spoken

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

At fifty-fifty, is it safe to assume his was the same?

As spoken

11:40 a.m.

As an Individual

As spoken

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Okay. Now, with that being said, you're in a situation.... You'll note that Mr. Boissonnault, at committee, actually testified that he wasn't really starting a new business but was resuming another business he'd had for 15 years prior, which is, to my understanding, in conflict with a recent Le Devoir article that stated he was in journalism—but that's probably for another conversation.

You brought the operational expertise of import-export, so you—

As spoken

11:40 a.m.

As an Individual

Stephen Anderson

I hadn't been in the export but was [Inaudible—Editor]—

As spoken

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

—would have dealt with wire transfers, shipping and receiving and all of that stuff. Is that correct?

As spoken

11:40 a.m.

As an Individual

Stephen Anderson

That's correct.

As spoken

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

However, in the text messages—let's set aside what the person's name is—you seem to be reporting to somebody. You seem to be needing the direction from somebody who is ultimately making decisions. Who at that time would have been making decisions in your company?

As spoken