Government Operations Committee on Feb. 28th, 2008

[Léo Housakos]

I never said that; I never said I was representing Rosdev to the Conservatives. In a meeting with Mr. Fred Loiselle, a political staffer, where I was offering my help to the political minister of Montreal—in terms of organizing networking functions with the cultural communities and networking events with the business community in order to enhance the presence of the new Conservative government in Montreal—in passing I mentioned to the chief of staff if he was aware of an ongoing conflict. It had come to my attention through sources that Rosdev was being mistreated or somehow being abused by Public Works. I asked him if that was the case to his knowledge. I never represented Rosdev; I never made any representations on behalf of the file, because I wasn't aware of the details of the file. And it was never on behalf of the Conservative Party or Rosdev; it was a simple suggestion, in passing, to the chief of staff if he was aware of the file.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Who told you that the Rosdev Group was being mistreated by the government?

[Léo Housakos]

I had heard that rumour at various functions on many occasions from the leaders of the Hasidic community and other leaders.

Two or three months earlier, in a communication I had with Mr. Lemieux, I asked him whether he was aware of it. Mr. Lemieux confirmed to me that he was aware of an ongoing conflict. He expressed the same point of view others have expressed: that in his opinion Rosdev Corporation was being mistreated.

I think I recall asking him whether he represented Rosdev, and he said he had represented Rosdev in the past. I had heard it from many people and I confirmed it from Mr. Lemieux.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Fine. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

Thank you, Ms. Bourgeois. Your five minutes are up.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

I'd like to continue where I left off and ask Mr. Rosenberg again about his relationship with Rosdev, the litigation that's ongoing with the federal government, and how resolution of that litigation has been sought by Rosdev.

You mentioned that you met with Mr. Brison when he was the Public Works minister at a meeting at 24 Sussex Drive. You had to pay to go to the meeting, and this was at a time when your company was in litigation with the Department of Public Works. So I'm also curious to know as well, as I mentioned—you had to check your memory, and you've had a few moments now—whether you met Mr. Gagliano when he was the Minister of Public Works and while you were in litigation with Rosdev with his department?

[Michael Rosenberg]

My recollection is that at one of the Liberal fundraising parties I did. I think it was in the Queen Elizabeth, where they do the major function every year—not lately, but a couple of years ago they used to do them. I was invited, and at that time, in passing, among other people I met Mr. Gagliano, as I met other people who were there.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Did you ever meet Mr. Don Boudria when he was the Minister of Public Works?

[Michael Rosenberg]

It's possible. As I said before, I meet a lot of people and I'm invited to functions, and there are many people at them whom I meet. I'm trying to be fair. I go to every function I can, Liberal, NDP, or Conservative.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Do you take the point, though? The issue, of course, here is Rosdev's relationship to the federal government and your having litigation and the means that are being sought to resolve the litigation. And the fact is that you have attended fundraisers with the Minister of Public Works, through whom your company is suing the federal government. You have paid to go to those fundraisers and have had conversations with the then-minister of Public Works.

This is rather a problem, isn't it?

[Michael Rosenberg]

Well, it's not necessarily that I discussed the file with the minister himself, but I went to the fundraising bodies. There's not much time, or not much.... You mingle around. When you go there, you go for a short while. I go and come and say hello and goodbye.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Have you ever met Minister Fortier?

[Michael Rosenberg]

I don't recall meeting him at all.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Not at all.

Have you ever met me, as his parliamentary secretary?

[Michael Rosenberg]

No, it's the first time.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

It's a pleasure.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Likewise.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

We'll go down the line, then. Have you ever met Mr. Loiselle?

[Michael Rosenberg]

No. I met his father. He's a nice person.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Have you ever met the current chief of staff to the Minister of Public Works?

[Michael Rosenberg]

I don't know who it is.

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Okay, then I take it you haven't met him.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I actually gave up hope of doing any settlement a couple of years ago, because—

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

It's a new government.

[Michael Rosenberg]

—they change people. You're being invited to make a proposal, and then you work on a proposal, and after a couple of months, suddenly you get back a two-sentence letter saying thank you for your unsolicited offer—even though I was invited to make an offer. So I really gave up hope, and our solicitors take care of it now with the courts. It's unfortunate, but it has to go that way.