Finance Committee on July 16th, 2020

[Rachel Wernick]

The lead official I was working with was Michelle Kovacevic at the Department of Finance.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Was that the person who brought up WE Charity?

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

That's—

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Sorry. It's just taking a phenomenal amount of time to answer a very simple question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Well, yes, but we want proper, accurate information on the record and not speculation.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

She was there, Chair. She was there. It's not speculation.

[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?

[Rachel Wernick]

Yes. That's correct, Mr. Chair. It was a group discussion—

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Who?

[Rachel Wernick]

—and to the best of my recollection, it was in those group discussions that the name came up.

[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—

[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.

[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?

[Rachel Wernick]

I have to come back to the April context. We were working 12-hour days—

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Right. That wasn't the question.

[Rachel Wernick]

—and I remember several conversations. I am not comfortable at this point—

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

You said that the minister—

[Rachel Wernick]

—specifying a direction. My recollection—

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair—

[Rachel Wernick]

I'm not being allowed to answer, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Mr. Poilievre—

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

You're not allowing yourself to answer.

[Rachel Wernick]

No, I am trying to take you back to mid-April.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

I don't want to go back. I want to go forward.

[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.