Evidence of meeting #74 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.
10:45 a.m.
Former Vice-Chair of the Pierre-Elliott Trudeau Foundation Board of directors, As an Individual
I'll speak for myself.
I resigned. I don't have a reputation for leaving the boat in stormy weather. I've never done that. I have managed many contentious and controversial files in my career. The reason I chose to resign, as I wrote in my letter of resignation, was that I wasn't convinced that this matter would be handled with transparency and integrity.
10:45 a.m.
As an Individual
I chose to resign from the board due to the fact that we were losing our management and, as Ms. Gibson said, there was the value or the need of having an independent portion of the board handle it with an independent investigator to be able to assess the past facts and to figure out a path forward for the organization so that we could deal with this donation and then get back to the important work of the foundation, which was to support the Ph.D. students.
10:45 a.m.
Director, The Firelight Group, As an Individual
Similar to what Dyane Adam just said, I also did not feel that I could trust the governance any further, the leadership. I didn't feel there was transparency. I didn't feel there was integrity, and I felt that there were attacks on the former president, which was not professional or—
10:45 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Thank you, Mr. Villemure.
Mr. Green, you have two and a half minutes, please. Go ahead.
10:45 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Thank you very much.
Dr. Adam, I believe you said that you were concerned that members who were appointed before 2018 could also be in a conflict of interest. Is that correct?
10:45 a.m.
Former Vice-Chair of the Pierre-Elliott Trudeau Foundation Board of directors, As an Individual
I didn't mention it, but some lawyers called me. Maybe on March 23, maybe before, a lawyer and the CEO, who was present, informed me that they had some concerns, because the chair, Ted, was—
10:45 a.m.
NDP
10:45 a.m.
Former Vice-Chair of the Pierre-Elliott Trudeau Foundation Board of directors, As an Individual
It wasn't so much a legal opinion. I'm not a lawyer. I don't want to get hung up on words, but the fact remains that lawyers called me to point out that there was a potential conflict of interest in this matter with regard to the current chair of the board of directors and other members.
10:45 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Thank you. I only have a minute left.
In Ms. Fournier's testimony, she stated there was tension within the board because some board members, Bruce McNiven and Peter Sahlas, would attempt to make changes to the mandate of the investigation, while other board members wanted an independent process, where those who were appointed to the board prior to 2018 would recuse themselves.
Would you agree with her testimony?
10:45 a.m.
Former Vice-Chair of the Pierre-Elliott Trudeau Foundation Board of directors, As an Individual
Yes.
10:45 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Dr. Gibson, in her testimony, Pascale Fournier stated that you circulated a motion. What was the push-back like from the board members on the scope of the—
10:50 a.m.
Director, The Firelight Group, As an Individual
There was push-back. As I said earlier, there was a heavy number of emails that arose every single time I put something forward. First of all, it was to destroy the reputation of the lawyer we had selected. Second, it was to suggest that everybody who was in potential conflict of interest could stay until such a time as we had an agreement. Then there was in-depth obstruction of the motions.
10:50 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
This is my last question. Did at any point in time the notion of foreign interference come up, or did the perception of foreign interference come up?
10:50 a.m.
Director, The Firelight Group, As an Individual
We weren't discussing that. We were discussing having an independent audit, and that's what we were focused on. We were not discussing foreign interference.
10:50 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Thank you, Mr. Green.
I have a quick question for all three of you. Give a very quick response, if you don't mind.
Madame Fournier appeared before this committee. I found her testimony compelling and credible. There were some witnesses who came afterwards who were less than favourable in their review of Ms. Fournier's performance as the executive director of the Trudeau Foundation.
I'll start with you, Dr. Adam.
How would you describe Madame Fournier's performance as the executive director of the Trudeau Foundation, in about 30 seconds or less?
10:50 a.m.
Former Vice-Chair of the Pierre-Elliott Trudeau Foundation Board of directors, As an Individual
I would describe her performance as remarkable and outstanding.
10:50 a.m.
As an Individual
I was always very impressed by her, and I saw no evidence of foreign interference in any of the work that we did.
10:50 a.m.
Director, The Firelight Group, As an Individual
I was always impressed with Dr. Fournier. She led the foundation very well. She had a very collegial relationship with all of the directors and led the foundation into a completely different approach.
She diversified who was accountable at the level of directors. She diversified strategically and she carefully ensured that there was access for people from all ethnicities. She ensured that there was strong indigenous engagement, and she broke down barriers to make sure that diversity was in play.
She was professional at all times.
10:50 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Dr. Gibson, I have one more question for you.
I assume you watched her testimony.
10:50 a.m.
Conservative
