Evidence of meeting #13 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was company.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
Thank you, Mr. Guimond.
We're going to move to Mr. Martin for five minutes of questioning.
4:45 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Thank you, Chair.
Mr. Gillani, Mr. Jaffer sat where you're sitting now and lied his ass off to us.
4:45 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
4:45 p.m.
An hon. member
Order.
4:45 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
--he told us there were no synergies between the two of you, so therefore they had no further dealings, etc. But yet your testimony is that you had regular and frequent meetings and encounters with him. In fact, you signed a contract after your September 10 dinner and your lunch, was it, at Sassafraz?
4:45 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Dinner at Sassafraz.
4:45 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Yes. So since then, since that time, you got together long enough to sign a binding legal contract--
4:45 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Actually, no, that's not true.
4:45 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
That's not true. I agreed to pay for it. Individuals paid for it. They were supposed to submit expenses to me, and I would have paid for it. I agreed to recoup those expenses, but nothing was submitted. So to be correct here, he paid for his own trip, and Dr. Chen paid for his own trip. I did agree that I would recoup--
4:45 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
--and pay it back, but nobody submitted anything to me.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I see. Fair enough.
But there must have been some communication, though, associated with that trip, leading up to it,some chit-chat, talks, encounters...?
4:50 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Yes, absolutely. I've told you that we were going to get on a plane together on April 13--15 days ago. So to me that's news that the relationship is over.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
It just adds to the pile of lies that we were told, Mr. Gillani.
Did you ever see Mr. Jaffer's website?
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
It says there that he has the ability to “secure support from the Canadian government”. He had the Conservative Party logo on that.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
So by that, coupled with what your cousin told you about him, did you not have an expectation that he could in fact access support from the Canadian government?
4:50 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
No, because I think if I got introduced to anybody around the table, by anyone, I wouldn't automatically assume that you had the ability to peddle influence. Right?
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Why else would you go into business with him and offer him a cut of your business deals?
