Evidence of meeting #127 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 business.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Thank you, Mr. Green.
Thank you, Minister.
That concludes our first round of six minutes.
We're going to now start with five minutes, and I'm going to go to Mr. Cooper.
Go ahead, sir.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Minister Boissonnault, when you last appeared before this committee, the committee had text messages referencing a “Randy” from September 8. You said the Randy referenced in those text messages was not you. Your office even put out a statement saying you were in Vancouver and had no access to electronic devices, and you made no phone calls during the time frame in question on September 8.
Since you appeared before committee, we have a new tranche of text messages from September 6 that reference Randy in Vancouver. You, Randy—through you, Mr. Chair—were in Vancouver, and now you tell the committee that you did talk to Anderson. You did text Anderson. You didn't say that before. You left this committee with the impression that you had no communications with Anderson, and now you say that you did.
I would submit, Mr. Boissonnault—through you, Mr. Chair—that it is a material omission. It is a material misrepresentation.
Why didn't you tell the full truth the last time you appeared before the committee? Why are we only finding out about this now? Is it because you need a new cover story?
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
I emphatically reject the ending of your question, Mr. Cooper.
The testimony I gave at this committee when I was last here was about September 8. After summer testimony, I proactively provided my text messages to the Ethics Commissioner.
Mr. Cooper, I don't have data in my phone that indicates who I texted over two years ago—
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Minister, Minister, you had a choice. You had a choice to—
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Hang on, Mr. Cooper.
I'm going to give you a couple more seconds to respond. Members have the right to reclaim their time as well. I'm trying to be as fair as I can.
Minister, please go ahead.
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
Mr. Cooper, on the morning of September 6, as I indicated, I got a text message from Purolator. I indicated this to Mr. Anderson. He called me. We had a one-minute phone call—
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
You had a choice to disclose that to committee and you didn't do so.
Liberal
Conservative
Conservative
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
As Mr. Green recommended, it is Standing Order 16(2), on interrupting a witness.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
I listened to Mr. Green's questioning, and there were several times when he reclaimed his time in advance of the minister responding.
I'm going to ask, Mr. Cooper, that we give ample time for the question. I know you had a long preamble. The question was in there.
You have the floor, sir. Go ahead. Ask your question.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Mr. Chair, the minister had a choice to come here and be forthcoming. He didn't do so. He misrepresented at this committee by omission.
I have to ask you this: You said you had nothing to do with the operations of GHI. Now you admit that in fact you did. The paying of the bill is an operational matter. If you had nothing to do with GHI, why wouldn't you simply pick up the phone, call Purolator, tell them you have nothing to do with the operations of the business and ask them to call Mr. Anderson? Why didn't you do that?
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
That is a great question.
The answer is that I did—three times. It was a collections group at Purolator that I had never contacted, which still somehow had my information in their database.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Mr. Boissonnault, why didn't you, at the very least, text him and say, “Contact Purolator”? Why did you then pick up the phone? Isn't the reason you picked up the phone that you wanted to talk about the half-million-dollar shakedown? That's why you called Mr. Anderson, isn't it?