Evidence of meeting #69 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.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Have you ever organized any political fundraisers for your brother since he ran for nomination or was first elected in a general election or for his leadership?
Member, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
In the early days I was doing a lot, because he had a staff of two. Did I do any fundraisers? I hosted one at my house, yes, maybe when he was deputy.... I got some friends together and, yes, I did do some fundraising.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
You were named an executor for your father's estate. Is that correct?
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
The assets include book rights and royalties through a numbered company. Is that correct?
Member, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
In some manner there are book rights, yes, in—
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Do you have control over the numbered company?
Member, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
I do have control, yes. Well, control....
I'm the president of it.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
You're the president. What are the interests there? What's the breakdown between you and your brother?
Member, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
My father, because he worked at a law firm for the last 20 years of his life, was surrounded by fiscalists. There were a lot of companies, and over the years we've slowly wound them down. There's one left, which includes some real estate holdings and book rights. It's barely operational, but it does continue to exist, yes.
Member, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
This is private, probably, I guess.
Conservative
Liberal
Ya'ara Saks Liberal York Centre, ON
I don't see how a private company is relevant to this testimony.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Well, stick around and find out, Ms. Saks. I'll keep questioning the witness, and you can try to interrupt, I suppose.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
We went through this yesterday.
Unless there's something procedurally within the Standing Orders—
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Pardon me? Your interruption is not helpful, Ryan.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Can we have some...?
Hang on, please. We're almost done here.
As I mentioned yesterday, unless it's something procedurally within the Standing Orders, members have the right to ask the questions that they want to ask. There's nothing in Ms. Saks' intervention, to me, that is against the Standing Orders. We're going to continue with Mr. Barrett.
Mr. Barrett, you have 27 seconds left, so go ahead, sir.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Throughout the testimony that we've had today, you're very sure about some things. Then, when we talk about things that actually do speak to the foreign interference, whether it's the reporting.... CSIS has a wiretap that confirms that this was an influence operation. That's something that you say you don't know anything about. The Hong Kong address of these donors that matches that of the Chinese Cultural Industry Association is something that you don't know anything about.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
You say the redemption for these folks is that they have a bank account. Well, drug dealers have bank accounts, sir. That doesn't mean that they're running reputable businesses.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Mr. Barrett, your time is done.
I'm going to give you a second to address that if you like, Mr. Trudeau.
Member, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
There's a lot of innuendo and misinterpretation. I don't think I need to address it.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Mr. Turnbull, the final three minutes are yours.
Go ahead, sir.
