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.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Thank you, Ms. Alvaro and Ms. Saks.
Mr. Villemure, you have the floor for six minutes.
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.
Conservative
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?
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.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Did the other ministers or their chiefs of staff contract with you directly, or was—
Communications Professional, As an Individual
No, it was not an open-bid process.
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?
Communications Professional, As an Individual
I don't have that number in front of me.
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.
Communications Professional, As an Individual
I think it would be somewhere in the neighbourhood of $30,000.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Then Ms. Ng would have represented half of your contracted services?
Communications Professional, As an Individual
That's correct. I've done work for three ministers.
Communications Professional, As an Individual
Minister Monsef at the time, Minister Bains and Minister Ng.
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?