Government Operations Committee on Feb. 28th, 2008

[Michael Fortier]

No.

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

It was very clear. It's been set very clear from the get-go that you've not been involved in this file because Mr. Loiselle said it was a commercial issue; it's an issue before the courts. Your staff have briefed you on the case, so you don't personally get involved in it.

[Michael Fortier]

Though I don't personally, I don't want people to think that I am hands-off to a point where I don't know what's happening. I do know what's happening.

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

You know what's happening.

[Michael Fortier]

Absolutely.

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

But you've chosen to—

[Michael Fortier]

I deal at arm's length.

A lot of MPs write me letters, not just Conservative MPs, but Liberal MPs and Bloc MPs write me letters about issues that deal with their constituents and Public Works; they're disappointed because their constituents lost the contract or something. I get this all the time, and we look into the file and give them an official response based on what public officials tell us at Public Works. That's the way it should be done.

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

The main question we're coming down to here is just how this meeting happened, not anything that happened out of this meeting but how did that meeting.... That's the question I'm trying to get my sense around.

So Mr. Soudas from the Prime Minister's Office looked into this, because they thought it was a political issue. You clearly see it as a commercial issue. So did they approach you about this meeting, or did they go to your chief of staff? How did that happen?

[Michael Fortier]

Nobody approached me. I wasn't invited to that meeting.

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

You were aware before the meeting happened, or you found out after the meeting?

[Michael Fortier]

No, I was aware that my chief of staff was going to attend that meeting. He briefed me after the meeting, and that was it.

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

Was Mr. Soudas saying he was calling from the Prime Minister's Office?

[Michael Fortier]

He didn't phone me.

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

No, but to your staff and they informed you.

[Michael Fortier]

They were going to meet Mr. Soudas at his office to discuss—

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

The Prime Minister was interested in it or Mr. Soudas?

[Michael Fortier]

They were going over to Mr. Soudas' office to discuss the file.

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

I'm not trying to trap you or anything.

[Michael Fortier]

You won't.

[Charlie Angus]

If I can get my one question answered, I'm happy.

[Michael Fortier]

What is the question?

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

Was Mr. Soudas doing this because Mr. Soudas was interested, because he had been asked by people in Montreal, or was this from the Prime Minister's Office? Was it, you know, “Dimitri, just check into this and see if everything is on the up-and-up”?

[Michael Fortier]

I understand that he's made it very clear that his inquiries originated from the fact that he was being asked by folks in Montreal.

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

So he was doing this on his own, then?

[Michael Fortier]

Well, you asked him this morning. I wasn't here. My understanding—