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.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
4:35 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Well, that's Mr. Snowdy's position. If he's a private investigator, you'd figure he'd have some proof, wouldn't he? That's his business.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
I understand you and I sympathize with you when you say that you hire people you trust. I think it's the basic--
4:35 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Yes. That's how I run my business every day.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
In French Canada we used to say “shake hands and you don't need a signature”. You deal with people. You choose the people you deal with by their reputation. It was even brought to you through the family ranks, right?
4:35 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Yes. Well, a family member who didn't turn out to be very....
4:35 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
But fair enough, yes.
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Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
Mr. Proulx, you have run out of time to ask the question.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
Quickly, did you ever hear Mr. Jaffer or anybody else say to you that Mr. Jaffer had excellent contacts, that Mr. Jaffer could do whatever he wanted to do with the government?
4:35 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
No.
My cousin introduced me to Mr. Jaffer and said he was very impressed by him and had known him for at least 10 years. I think he met him at the time he came into Parliament. So he had a long-standing relationship with him. It was purely based on the fact that we're all of the same religion. We trust each other a lot.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
But you wouldn't have hired him if you didn't think he had good contacts, would you?
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
Mr. Proulx, we've given you another minute, pretty well, so you're going to have to wait until the next round.
Mr. Holder, you have five minutes.
April 28th, 2010 / 4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to thank our witness for coming in today. My sense is that there is strong candour here, but I'd like to ask some questions.
I come from a business background and less of a politician one, so I'm trying to understand the business relationships. You've indicated in your testimony that your cousin was the gentleman who introduced you to Mr. Jaffer. Through the course of what seems to me a very quick timeframe, you seemed to engage in a relationship with him or on a basis on which you were about to enter into some contractual terms.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
What was the timeframe from the time that you actually met him face to face to the point where you were prepared to put contract to paper?
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
4:35 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, International Strategic Investments
Sure, but if you have a deal that doesn't cost you any money to put into play, then as a businessman it makes sense.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
So talk to me about that, because they say in business to pay yourself first if you can, although that's the dream. So the practical question to me becomes, clearly, that Mr. Jaffer and his partner, through their company, would have expected compensation at some point.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative