Evidence of meeting #24 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was meeting.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
I've just walked into the room, so I'll let—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
Just a second; I'm sorry. I'm getting all mixed up this morning. It's the Bloc's turn.
Because you just walked in, James, I saw you and thought you should be speaking now.
Conservative
Liberal
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
It's my turn. Thank you, Madame Chair.
Good day, Ms. Stensholt and Mr. McGrath.
Mr. McGrath, I would like to revisit some of your answers. If I understand correctly, Minister Fortier's office asked you to meet with officials from the Prime Minister's Office. Is that right?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Real Property Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I said I was called to a meeting that was arranged by the minister's office. I was not contacted by the Prime Minister's Office. And at those meetings—
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
That is not what I asked you. When you say the minister's office, you're talking about Mr. Fortier, the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, right?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Real Property Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Yes, the minister's office contacted us for a meeting.
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Did people from Mr. Fortier's office ask you to meet with people from the Prime Minister's Office?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Real Property Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
They didn't ask us to meet with members of the PMO; they asked us to come up and do a briefing to his office, at which time there were people from the Prime Minister's Office in attendance.
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
I was going to ask you why you were asked to meet with people from the Prime Minister's Office. I imagine you would say that it was to provide information. Is that right?
I would like to know with whom you met from the Prime Minister's Office then.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Real Property Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
At the time, there were members of the PMO staff who were there in attendance: Jean-François Béland, and Dimitri Soudas was the other individual.
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Was Mr. Loiselle there? I expect you have that in your notes.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Real Property Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
No. At the briefing I attended, I don't recall Mr. Loiselle being there.
Bloc
Assistant Deputy Minister, Real Property Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
No. There were two meetings at which there were Prime Minister's Office staff. At the first meeting in October, from what I've been told, there was only one individual, Jean-François Béland. And there were only two members at the second meeting in January, as I've just mentioned.
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Witnesses—Mr. Loiselle and Mr. Soudas—appeared before us and told us that there were three meetings with people from Public Works and Government Services. You are the deputy minister of that department. In theory, you should have participated in all three meetings. Is that how it works, or is someone else in charge of the Rosdev contracts?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Real Property Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I'll just answer that briefly and then turn it over to Ellen Stensholt.
I was at two meetings: one, as I mentioned, in January and another one in February.
I do not recall any members of the Prime Minister's staff being at the February briefing. I do recall the two members being there at the January briefing, and I've been told that a member of the Prime Minister's staff was at the October 27 meeting. That was Jean-François Béland.
Bloc
