Evidence of meeting #57 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 businesses.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Thank you, Ms. Alvaro and Ms. Saks.
Mr. Villemure, you have the floor for six minutes.
10:05 a.m.
Bloc
René Villemure Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Good morning, Ms. Alvaro. Thank you for your testimony.
Because Ms. Alvaro is not a public servant and isn't subject to the Conflict of Interest Act, I have no questions for her. I'd therefore like to give my time to my colleague from the NDP, if he wants it.
10:05 a.m.
Conservative
10:05 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Thank you. I thank you for the opportunity.
Welcome to the committee, Ms. Alvaro. I appreciate that there's probably a lot of media and that the adage “all press is good press” probably doesn't necessarily hold true in this moment.
I want to get into the questions, and because I have a little bit more time, I won't rush as much as I have in previous sessions.
Were you aware your friendship with Ms. Ng would have placed her in a conflict of interest when she received services from your agency? As somebody who's been around politics as long as you have, did you raise that as a possible concern?
10:05 a.m.
Communications Professional, As an Individual
Thank you for asking that question.
No, it never occurred to me that the work I would be providing to this minister, which was similar in nature to work I had provided to other ministers, would be problematic simply because I knew her better.
10:05 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Did the other ministers or their chiefs of staff contract with you directly, or was—
10:05 a.m.
Communications Professional, As an Individual
No, it was not an open-bid process.
10:05 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
What would be the global total of those types of contracts—sole-source procurement contracts—with the Liberal government?
10:05 a.m.
Communications Professional, As an Individual
I don't have that number in front of me.
10:05 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
What would you guess it would be? You seemed very precise about this contract being half a per cent of your overall income.
10:05 a.m.
Communications Professional, As an Individual
I think it would be somewhere in the neighbourhood of $30,000.
10:10 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Then Ms. Ng would have represented half of your contracted services?
10:10 a.m.
Communications Professional, As an Individual
That's correct. I've done work for three ministers.
10:10 a.m.
Communications Professional, As an Individual
Minister Monsef at the time, Minister Bains and Minister Ng.
10:10 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Okay.
Did you have previous relationships with the other two, based on your proximity to the Liberal government in your time here?