Evidence of meeting #70 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 donation.
A video is available from Parliament.
Chair of the Board of the Foundation, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
Yes, and that's just what I'm thinking of. I'm sorry. At that point, negative press was brought before the board and discussed—
Chair of the Board of the Foundation, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
I wasn't chair then. I was a director at that time.
Frankly, I'm not sure whether that was actually brought before the board or whether it was before...but, no, it must have been before the board. It must have been before the board that we had that presentation—
Chair of the Board of the Foundation, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
[Inaudible—Editor] informed about it.
I don't recall anything specific other than reviewing what was being said to the media about it.
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
So you did nothing in response. You just reviewed.
During Pascale Fournier's turn as president and CEO, did she bring forward any concerns regarding the donation to the board?
Chair of the Board of the Foundation, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
To my recollection, not before the newspaper article, the February 28—
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
And you categorically deny all the allegations put forward in the Globe and Mail article.
Chair of the Board of the Foundation, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
I'm in no position to do that. All I can say is the allegation.... I could take it specific by specific, but I can say that we did not receive—we were never offered, to the best of my knowledge—a million dollars.
NDP
Chair of the Board of the Foundation, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
I'm unaware of any foreign interference.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Would you consider an article of that nature on a national platform to be defamatory?
Chair of the Board of the Foundation, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
Arguably.
NDP
Chair of the Board of the Foundation, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
Unfair, I would say, at least; unfair.
Chair of the Board of the Foundation, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
Correct.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
How do you respond to that legally? Did you ask for a retraction?
Chair of the Board of the Foundation, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
No.
Chair of the Board of the Foundation, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
I can't say. The idea of asking for a retraction frankly never crossed my mind.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
If I'm chairing a foundation bearing the name of the former prime minister, while the current Prime Minister, his son, is the Prime Minister, and his brother is on the board, and these allegations drop....
I'll give you some grace, because I've never read a CSIS report. I don't know any of it to be true, quite frankly. When I read it on the face value of it, I'll give you the courtesy and the grace to say we don't know if it's true, and yet I am shocked in the lack of defence from your foundation to the allegations that are made, aside from what's happening here in the statement that went out.
Chair of the Board of the Foundation, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
Well, it is out there now that at no time were we approached by a Chinese donor offering us $1 million.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
No, but it was $200,000, and the donor was Zhang Bin. In testimony previously, you couldn't confirm whether you knew who the donor was. Can you not see how that's a problem?
Sir, you are a very intelligent man. You're learned. You have a tremendous history. You've been on this board for quite some time, and yet in your preparation for the seriousness of today's committee, you couldn't reference who the donor was. Do you not see that as a problem?