Evidence of meeting #18 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 gillani.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
He handed two out: one to you and one to your business partner. What did he say to you when he gave you this business card? Did he tell you that it was part of a collection, to add to your hockey card collection? Did he tell you it was a card that just happened to be in his pocket, or that it was a card with his contact information to reach him in order to do business together? Why did he give it to you? Was he overcome by nostalgia or by a burning desire to do business?
5:20 p.m.
As an Individual
I don't know what the motivation was for providing that card to me, outside of... Again, it's draw your own conclusions whether it represented more influence than there really was or whether it was just that--I think it had been mentioned before--he ran out of his own business cards. I don't know.
I know what my impression was, but I can't speak to the reality of why he did that.
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
So nothing was said to accompany the action that confirmed that you could reach him at such and such a number, who he was, how he could get you in and what you could get done together. All because he had that card.
5:20 p.m.
As an Individual
He never said here's my business card and I'm the government, as far as you're concerned. There was nothing like that, no.
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
Did he promise you things? You met with him dozens of times. Was that for business?
5:20 p.m.
As an Individual
Yes. For funding, sure there was, many times. But with respect to the matter at hand, there was just that one e-mail and a couple of follow-up calls where I had to ask, any news? And it was the same answer; it effectively ended up being no.
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
When Mr. Gillani told you that he would follow up on funding, did he tell you that the follow-up meant going to the federal government to look for money?
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
Did he say that he would go look for money for your company in existing federal government programs?
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Thank you.
I was asked to put aside five minutes for committee business.