Government Operations Committee on Feb. 28th, 2008

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

So the Prime Minister sent you?

[Dimitri Soudas]

As I said, in terms of questions related to the operations of the Office of the Prime Minister, his chief of staff and the Prime Minister himself can answer those questions at 2:15, sir.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

So you're not going to tell this committee, under oath, whether you were there at the Prime Minister's behest or whether you were flying solo.

[Dimitri Soudas]

As I said earlier, sir, this issue was raised with me. In doing my job, I ask questions. I inquired, I got briefed, and, as you know, the result is that this matter is still before the courts, sir.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

In your background, have you been an elected official in the past, or are you just a party staffer?

[Dimitri Soudas]

The only privilege I've had of being elected, sir, is as a school commissioner in the area in which I live, which is Aylmer, Quebec.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Okay. So you moved from the school board to the Prime Minister's office?

[Dimitri Soudas]

No, that's not correct, sir. I moved to Ottawa in 2002—

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Oh, right, sorry.

[Dimitri Soudas]

If I may continue, as you might have some different information....

In 2002, I moved from Montreal to Ottawa to work for the then leader of the opposition and leader of the Canadian Alliance, Stephen Harper. Shortly thereafter, in November 2003, there was a school board election and I decided to volunteer and run to become a school trustee. I got elected in 2003. Up until 2007—

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Are you looking to run in politics again? Do you like the political life?

[Dimitri Soudas]

I really don't carry a crystal ball with me, sir, so I go with things one day at a time.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Okay.

I'm trying to get a sense of why you and why not Mr. Fortier? Mr. Rosenberg clearly has met with Public Works ministers, and it would be, I would figure, fairly rational that Mr. Rosenberg meet with Public Works officials because he's a landlord of the government.

Why you? Why not Mr. Fortier? Did Mr. Fortier tell you to hold this meeting—

[Dimitri Soudas]

No, sir.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

—or did the Prime Minister figure that you should do the job instead of Mr. Fortier?

[Dimitri Soudas]

As I said earlier when asked by Mr. Holland, this file was raised with me by Mr. Tamburello, a former city councillor. I looked into the matter, I asked questions, and I got briefed in doing my job, as I'm sure many political staffers who work for the government, for opposition parties, do all the time.

It is not uncommon for—

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

No, certainly not. It's just that when my staff meet anybody, they're meeting me. People know that if Charlie Angus isn't at the meeting, they're meeting me.

You work for the Prime Minister. You set up a meeting with public officials. Did the Prime Minister give you that authority or were you flying solo?

[Dimitri Soudas]

As I said, sir, I work for the Prime Minister. I work for the Office of the Prime Minister. I report to my principal, the chief of staff, regarding any questions on the operations of the Office of the Prime Minister and how it functions. I don't manage people. You are more than free to ask either the Prime Minister's chief of staff or the Prime Minister at 2:15 today.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I'm not trying to put you on the spot, Mr. Soudas. I just think it would clear the air and my line of questioning would all fizzle out if I got a sense that you weren't flying solo, that you were mandated either by Mr. Brodie, Ms. Buckler, or Stephen Harper himself, saying, “Go to that meeting and just look into it for me, because you're my guy on the ground”, in the same way that I would tell my legislative assistant, “Go to that meeting because I can't get there.”

If I found out my legislative assistant was holding meetings and I didn't know about it, no offence, I'd fire him.

This might all just fizzle out. Just tell me who told you to go to that meeting.

[Dimitri Soudas]

As I said, sir, this file was raised with me—

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I know.

[Dimitri Soudas]

And I inquired about it, as many political staff do. They inquire--

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Do you have delegated authority at the Prime Minister's Office?

[Dimitri Soudas]

I report to my principal who is the chief of staff, sir.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

But you must have some authority to call staff--