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.
Communications Professional, As an Individual
No, we did not pay the influencers.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
They did their work for free in terms of engaging on the topic?
Communications Professional, As an Individual
Yes. I think that at that time, there was a feeling of togetherness, that it was “all hands on deck”. People felt strongly that they wanted to get the information out to Canadians—
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
After that initial conversation with the minister, did her staff, her communications staff, then follow up with you?
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
At any point in time did anybody raise the potential for a conflict of interest with either you or any of your staff, given your close relationship with Ms. Ng?
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
In retrospect, do you think that might have been a bit of a problem?
Communications Professional, As an Individual
In retrospect or maybe on a go-forward basis, I think that preventive screens around conflict of interest would be a worthwhile outcome of this committee's undertaking, yes.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
That was something that was in place for the other ministers you dealt with. Is that correct? For instance, the other ministers you referenced didn't call you. It would have been their department that would have engaged you. Is that correct, or did those ministers directly contact you?
Communications Professional, As an Individual
No, those ministers' offices directly contacted me.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
The distinction is did the ministers directly contact you or did their office?
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Okay. In the other two cases, the ministers did not call you and did not have that relationship with you. There was a bit of a screen. Staff undertook it of their own accord.
Communications Professional, As an Individual
I don't think there was a screen in those cases either. I've never been asked that question. I've never been asked a conflict-of-interest question. There's never been a screen in any of my—
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
It's likely, though, that in your time as a panellist you would have commented extensively on conflicts of interest and scandals. You're somebody who's very learned in politics. I find it difficult, Ms. Alvaro, that you would know what you know and not see this as a potential conflict of interest.
Communications Professional, As an Individual
It, again, never occurred to me that I couldn't do this work for this minister, work of a nature similar to work that I had done for other ministers, simply because I knew her better. It did not occur to me.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Okay.
Do you have any recommendations regarding changes that should be made to the Conflict of Interest Act as a vendor who had a close relationship and pecuniary interest in the contract that has now brought you before the ethics committee?
Communications Professional, As an Individual
I do think that one opportunity to remedy this would be to put preventive screens in place proactively, and maybe certification, so that any supplier.... We heard from the procurement officer a few days ago, who talked about the 10,000 contracts of this nature that go through the ministry. There should be a screen in place—
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
It would be an attestation by the minister that would say that everything is in accordance....
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
I would put it to you that I don't think it is your responsibility, by the way. It is absolutely the minister's responsibility to take care of this, and my questioning pertained to the minister in that regard, but would you agree on perhaps having all ministers and their senior staff—as we do with our MP offices—have an attestation that says their procurement is in accordance with the Conflict of Interest Act? Do you think that would be useful?
Communications Professional, As an Individual
Yes, or any kind of preventive screen, any kind of flag that would raise the question.
I know that this question was asked of the deputy minister in procurement on Tuesday. Somebody said, “In this ministry of hundreds of people, didn't anyone raise a flag?” The answer was no. Nobody raised a flag.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Yes, and I think that's the heart of the problem. Hopefully we can make those changes moving forward.
I believe that's probably all of my 10-minute intervention. Is that correct, Mr. Chair?
