Evidence of meeting #67 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 foundation.
A video is available from Parliament.
10:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
I'm sorry, but that concludes the round. We're a little over time here.
Ms. Martinez Ferrada, you have the floor for five minutes.
10:20 a.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Fournier, thank you for being here with us. I have a few brief questions for you. I'd like to return to your expertise in ethics. Throughout the period during which you headed the foundation, did you take part in any partisan activities?
10:20 a.m.
Former President and Chief Excecutif Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Full Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, As an Individual
No.
April 28th, 2023 / 10:20 a.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
When you began working there, you must surely have studied the donations and previous financial reports of the foundation. You prepared a strategic plan, so I'm sure that you must have studied everything that happened prior to your arrival, like any serious person who is going to manage such a large foundation. Were you able to determine whether the foundation had spent any money to engage in partisan activities with any party?
10:25 a.m.
Former President and Chief Excecutif Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Full Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, As an Individual
I began on July 9, 2018 in a very specific context when there were virtually no employees left at the foundation. I wanted to point that out. When I arrived, there were no employees, and there was no team. So I myself had to quickly hire people. I had no one in communications, no one in programs, no one in finance, and so I couldn't…
10:25 a.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
Did you check the political background of each of the people you hired? Did you check whether they had been involved with a political party?
10:25 a.m.
Former President and Chief Excecutif Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Full Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, As an Individual
I checked whatever it was legal for me to check. I was previously a commissioner at the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
10:25 a.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
Did you check on the donations, for example? Donations are public, in our electoral context. We can see whether or not people made donations. Did you check whether the employees you hired had made donations to political parties?
10:25 a.m.
Former President and Chief Excecutif Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Full Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, As an Individual
We don't look into that.
10:25 a.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
Have you yourself ever made a donation to a political party?
10:25 a.m.
Former President and Chief Excecutif Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Full Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, As an Individual
No, I have not donated to any political party.
10:25 a.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
During the time when you were heading the foundation, were you ever pressured, in connection with the donation we've been talking about, to organize these conferences on Canada-China relations?
10:25 a.m.
Former President and Chief Excecutif Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Full Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, As an Individual
No.
10:25 a.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
Did you ever receive a letter or email from the association that made the donation to the foundation requesting that, in connection with the donation, these conferences be held?
10:25 a.m.
Former President and Chief Excecutif Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Full Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, As an Individual
No.
10:25 a.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
On the university side of things, were you ever pressured to include studies on Canada and China in the strategic plan?
10:25 a.m.
Former President and Chief Excecutif Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Full Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, As an Individual
The strategic plan had nothing to do with Canada-China relations. That's something we came up with ourselves.
10:25 a.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
Did you ever feel any obligation with respect to Canada-China relations owing to the donation the foundation had received?
10:25 a.m.
Former President and Chief Excecutif Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Full Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, As an Individual
No.
10:25 a.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
The current government has been in office since 2015, which predates your arrival as the CEO of the foundation in 2018. Did you see any of the emails from 2015 or later asking the foundation to hold these conferences in order to meet the requirement of the contract signed in connection with this donation?
10:25 a.m.
Former President and Chief Excecutif Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Full Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, As an Individual
They never asked, which I found odd, by the way. If there's a $70,000 gift in 2016 which requires the foundation to organize a conference and it doesn't do so, you would expect to hear from them.
10:25 a.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
All right.
Were you required to select the universities that would attend, for example, from the Chinese community?
10:25 a.m.
Former President and Chief Excecutif Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Full Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, As an Individual
No.
10:25 a.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
Did the selection process for scholars meet ethical academic procedures?
10:25 a.m.
Former President and Chief Excecutif Officer at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Full Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, As an Individual
Yes, absolutely.