Evidence of meeting #17 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was screen.
A video is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
How do you monitor that? Mr. Carney is very talented, and he's acquired a lot of expertise in the private sector, I agree.
That said, his address book is full of people who can call him directly.
Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of Canada, Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
Mr. Carney sets the highest standard for himself.
Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of Canada, Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
Let me answer you.
I told you what we do for meeting and call requests submitted to the Prime Minister in his role and in his executive role in cabinet.
We use a system. We built an ethical wall. As I explained earlier, if it involves one of the companies listed in annex A, there can be no engagement. If there is engagement with third parties, it cannot be related to the areas in which the companies listed in annex A operate or to the Government of Canada.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
So you haven't forbidden Mr. Carney from communicating with Brookfield.
Is that correct?
Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of Canada, Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
In that context, the screen is implicit.
Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of Canada, Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
Obviously it is, because the law requires it.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
I'm a little surprised that Mr. Carney can answer to anyone. In fact, yesterday—
Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of Canada, Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
That's not the case. I don't agree with the premise of your question and the comment you're making.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Gentlemen, think about the interpreters. They're not able to follow your discussion when you speak over each other.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
Yesterday, I asked Mr. Sabia a question about Mr. Carney's trip to the United Arab Emirates. That was on the same day that Brookfield announced that it's going to invest $100 billion in AI.
I told him that was a strange coincidence. I asked him whether, as clerk, he considered it to be a coincidence.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
It's unfortunate in everyone's case.
Mr. Hardy, you have the floor for five minutes.
Conservative
Gabriel Hardy Conservative Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Blanchard, you said earlier that you had rarely seen such a solid structure despite your many years of experience. You have led a number of organizations, as has Mr. Sabia. Yesterday, I made a point of telling him that he had been the equivalent of the prime minister in a number of organizations.
Did the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, of which you were a director, have the same kind of structure?
Did the employees reporting directly to management have a duty to ensure that their director didn't make any missteps?
Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of Canada, Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
Usually, in all companies, the people responsible for administering the screen are part of the legal affairs department, and they report to the chief executive officer. They're the ones who administer the screens.
Conservative
Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of Canada, Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
In that context, they are direct reports.
Conservative
Gabriel Hardy Conservative Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC
Every day, you and Mr. Sabia are in direct contact with Mr. Carney. Yesterday, we were told there was complete independence from him.
How can someone be both independent from and a direct report to the same person?
Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of Canada, Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
You mentioned the private sector. Typically, in the private sector, the chair of the board appoints the CEO, with the agreement of the board. In that case, does the CEO do the chair of the board's bidding? No, they do not. As CEO, they must fulfill their obligations to the company, not to the person who appoints them.
In this context, I was hired by the Prime Minister, and the same things applies.
Conservative
Gabriel Hardy Conservative Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC
No board appointed you; the Prime Minister hired you directly.
Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of Canada, Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
As I said, the same thing applies here as well.
Conservative