Evidence of meeting #41 for Finance in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was volunteer.
A video is available from Parliament.
5:20 p.m.
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
The lead official I was working with was Michelle Kovacevic at the Department of Finance.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Sorry. It's just taking a phenomenal amount of time to answer a very simple question.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Well, yes, but we want proper, accurate information on the record and not speculation.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
She was there, Chair. She was there. It's not speculation.
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
I know she was there, and I know it was a group discussion. That's basically what she said.
Ms. Wernick, do you want to answer?
5:25 p.m.
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
Yes. That's correct, Mr. Chair. It was a group discussion—
5:25 p.m.
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
—and to the best of my recollection, it was in those group discussions that the name came up.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
That wasn't the question. You've given the name of a finance official. We'll have to assume, unless you later correct the record, that this official was the one who brought up the name of WE.
Now I am—
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Pierre, I'm going to correct the record. She said that the individual was the “lead” for finance, so let's not speculate too far.
The floor is yours.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
I'll ask one last time, and then, if not, we'll have to consider whether we pursue this further and more formally.
Was this official the one who asked you to contact WE, yes or no? If not, I'll move on.
Is it yes or no?
5:25 p.m.
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
I have to come back to the April context. We were working 12-hour days—
5:25 p.m.
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
—and I remember several conversations. I am not comfortable at this point—
5:25 p.m.
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
—specifying a direction. My recollection—
5:25 p.m.
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
I'm not being allowed to answer, Mr. Chair.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
5:25 p.m.
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
No, I am trying to take you back to mid-April.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Listen, this is not a court.
If we go over time on this panel, we will. I don't want to see the witnesses browbeaten. Ms. Wernick is doing her best. Give her time to answer.
Ms. Wernick.