Evidence of meeting #62 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was results.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
—not just to decide what he will or won't allow.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ali Ehsassi
I will allow the minister to answer the question, in context, as part of his response.
Minister, the floor is yours.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
The question is this: How many staff do you have in your ministerial office, Minister?
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Is it more or less than you had when you were Minister of Defence?
Liberal
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
Well, if I can give you the context to explain, it's a little bit less. However, at that time, no, I did not have staff. I had one chief of staff at that time, with minimal staff at that time.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Okay, so the context was you had only one member of staff during that crisis, so you weren't checking your emails and you didn't have someone else to check your emails.
Liberal
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
I didn't have my normal staff who would assist me in my normal day to day at that time, and during that time.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Okay.
In terms of GAC, what we have heard is that your chief of staff at the time, George Young, received the template from someone at GAC—
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
—that was then used for producing those illegal documents. Who is the person at GAC who—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ali Ehsassi
One second, please.
There is a point of order, Mr. Genuis.
We have Ms. Vandenbeld.
Liberal
Anita Vandenbeld Liberal Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
Now I believe that my colleague is going into things that don't have to do with the main estimates. Also, I believe he's badgering the witness.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
On that point, I was asking actually for the name of a GAC employee who provided those documents.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ali Ehsassi
Mr. Genuis, you do recall that the chair has to permit you to speak.
I want to once again emphasize to all members to please keep their questions relevant.
Thank you, Mr. Genuis. You have the floor for another 25 seconds.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Thank you.
Minister, who was that GAC employee who provided those documents?
Liberal
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
I'm sorry. Can you repeat the question? I'm not fully understanding what you were saying.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Who was the GAC employee who provided to your chief of staff the template that was used for producing these fake documents?
Liberal
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
First of all, I wasn't tracking the actual process for the facilitation letters.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
You must have followed up on this information more recently, have you not, Chair?
Conservative