Evidence of meeting #91 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 project.
A video is available from Parliament.
Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
The COVID payments were made as a portfolio of companies. All the conflicts were assumed previously declared. Part of that—
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Did you receive an Ethics Commissioner approval for this? You did it when you came to the board, but I didn't hear you say that you did that on this particular vote. Why not?
Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Again, we took the position that these COVID payments were broad. It was an operational issue.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
The lawyer who is also a member of your council took that position.
Can you not appreciate the perception of the public and taxpayers watching this? Hearing the discrepancies in that line of reasoning, would they not see that as a problem?
Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
The minutes of the March 20 board meeting demonstrated this and—
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Did you recuse yourself from the vote on the COVID funding, or did you move the motion?
Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
I believe I moved the motion.
Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
It wasn't a decision I—
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Do you regret your decision not to recuse yourself from that decision?
Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
I took the advice of my lawyer.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Is that the lawyer who's a member of the council of the organization you belong to?
Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
I took the advice from Osler.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Why not the Ethics Commissioner? That would have cleared you right here, today.
However, right now, I have to tell you that, if somebody came into this barely objective.... This raises more questions than it answers. I put very specific questions to you. You made it appear as though you did not act in the interest of your organization after you joined the board. That we now know to not be true.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Thank you, Mr. Green.
Before we begin with Mr. Brock, I need clarification from Ms. Damoff.
Ms. Damoff, you said you received documents last evening. Which documents were you referring to?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
We received that at 8:18 last night, I believe, so you would have received it. However, you made reference to a letter that came from SDTC officials.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
I thought it was included with the Osler report.
Was it included with that, Mr. Chair?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
No. That came in at 3:47 on Friday and was distributed at 5:15 on Friday.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
That was my error.
I find even getting the Osler report so late made it very hard for us...before committee.
Liberal
November 8th, 2023 / 5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
Actually, Mr. Chair, on that particular point, was the Osler report shared with the Conservative team? I haven't seen it.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
It would have been in the committee's digital binder. I have a copy of it, as well, Mr. Brock, so it was probably distributed in the committee's binder and sent by email to everyone.