Government Operations Committee on Feb. 28th, 2008

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

He's a former councillor. That doesn't make sense to me.

How long have you known Mr. Tamburello? Is he a friend of yours?

[Dimitri Soudas]

What's your definition of a friend?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

What's yours? Is he a friend?

[Dimitri Soudas]

What do you mean by a...?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Is he friend or is he not a friend?

[Dimitri Soudas]

I worked for the mayor of Montreal, Mr. Holland. Mr. Tamburello was the borough mayor for an opposing party. So I guess I was friends with Mr. Tamburello the same way I am with you, sir.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Okay.

Is it correct that Mr. Tamburello was an executive vice-president of the municipal political party you used to work for?

[Dimitri Soudas]

When I worked at the city of Montreal, sir, Mr. Tamburello was a borough mayor with Vision Montréal. I worked for the mayor's party, which was not Vision Montréal. I left in August of 2002 to move to Ottawa, when Mr. Tamburello was still a municipal councillor with the opposition party.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

So he wasn't just a friend, but he was also a political ally.

[Dimitri Soudas]

As I stated previously, sir, he was a member of the opposing party once I left city hall.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Once you left?

[Dimitri Soudas]

I would say if Mr. Tamburello was a political ally from the opposing party, then I assume that you are as much a political ally to me today.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Later in 2007 you talked about another Montreal city councillor who asked you to look into the Rosdev file. It was the brother of Mayor Tremblay—correct?—who, by all accounts, came very close to being a Conservative candidate in the Outremont by-election. Can you tell us what you said to him?

[Dimitri Soudas]

Mr. Tremblay raised the issue as something that he had heard in the community, and I informed Mr. Tremblay that this matter was before the court, sir.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Wouldn't you say that having the support of a wealthy member of the Montreal civic community--such as the owner of Rosdev developments, Michael Rosenberg--would have been beneficial to the Conservative Party's candidate in the by-election?

[Dimitri Soudas]

I don't know of any party-related responsibilities, sir. I work for the Government of Canada.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

You have no party-related responsibilities? You don't have any partisan responsibilities?

[Dimitri Soudas]

My only paycheque comes in from the Government of Canada, sir. There are party officials who work for the Conservative Party who take those considerations into account.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Did you run as a candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada?

[Dimitri Soudas]

No, sir.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Which phone number did Mr. Tamburello call you at to inquire in a personal fashion about the Rosdev file?

[Dimitri Soudas]

Pardon me, I missed that. Would you mind repeating that, sir?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

At what phone number did Mr. Tamburello call you to inquire in a personal fashion about the Rosdev file?

[Dimitri Soudas]

I have a BlackBerry, I have a cellphone, I have an office line, there's a switchboard....