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.
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Did they never mention at any time what their fee or their finder's fee would be—
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
—if this process had led to saying “Okay, Green Rite Solutions is going to get a loan or a grant of x number of dollars”?
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
They wouldn't do it out of the goodness of their heart. I mean, what would be the—
4:10 p.m.
Chairman, Wright Tech Systems
They may come back and ask for a finder's fee, or whatever they call it. They never mentioned that to me going in. You know, in the business there's a finder's fee anywhere from 2% to 10%. That's normal in the business, but they never mentioned that. There was never a percentage mentioned, or anything to do with that. Amazing. I have to tell you, I had dismissed them. I hadn't really...
You know, I have a business to run out of here. I have several businesses—I have about ten... I go to work at six every morning. My wife says, “When are we going to quit?” I said, “They'll take me out in a box.” I can't help it; this is what I do.
So, you know, that's not a big part of my day, it really isn't. I have something I had to do today. I have a job to get together tomorrow, but I should have been doing it today, but I'm here today, and that's my day. That's the way it is for me.
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
We do appreciate your cooperation. You should understand, too, that our interest is to make sure that this multi-billion-dollar green infrastructure fund is distributed fairly and properly, without any undue influence by well-connected people, etc.
4:10 p.m.
Chairman, Wright Tech Systems
Why were we rejected?
I can tell you, there's nothing greener than what we do. If you could tell me something greener, I'd like to see it.
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I'll give my time to Mr. Wright.
I think you've done us a great service by being here, and you do seem to have an excellent product. I learned a great deal, actually, from this e-mail exchange and the answers. The reason I focused on those is because it did sound as though he was getting very specific information about your company that he was passing on to the minister's office on your behalf, though he really was your agent, whether you knew about it or not.
4:10 p.m.
Chairman, Wright Tech Systems
Mr. Gillani had that, but as I said, he wouldn't be the only one with it. That's a package we'd put together. We've put that together for many people.
As I said, we see lots of people coming and going. I'm going back many years, where I've had guys who were going to take this thing public, and then venture capital guys come in and they have a great story. They only want this much. But when the real workmen show up, if Pierre Bourque shows up and you read it, they want that much and I'm out on my ass in the street, every time. What are we, all dopey or something? They must think we're joking or something, but that's what we get.
Sorry for that.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
No problem. Thank you very much. At least you're clarifying stuff for us.
We'll go to the next round of questions.
Ms. Mendes, you have five minutes.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Mr. Wright, I've understood pretty well what you've said so far, but if you weren't in touch with Mr. Jaffer and Mr. Gillani after September 23, who in your company was?
I will ask this question because, in the interest of disclosure, in front of me I have a contract signed by your son and Mr. Gillani.
4:15 p.m.
Chairman, Wright Tech Systems
That was the find money, but it never happened because we cancelled that.
4:15 p.m.
Chairman, Wright Tech Systems
We told them on the 23rd that it was over, because that was signed before that.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
4:15 p.m.
Chairman, Wright Tech Systems
We have that, and that was signed by Stephen Wright, who's the president of Green Rite. He's sitting behind me.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
4:15 p.m.
Chairman, Wright Tech Systems
He texted them. He texted them on my phone, because he was to be at my office at five o'clock, after missing a lot of meetings. He was to be there at five o'clock. I waited and waited until 5:30.
What he was doing to me was this. I know what his game was. I'm a bad-tempered guy some days. I don't like being pushed around. So I would phone him, and his message machine would come on and say he was very busy today closing a deal, and so on, and to leave a message. I'd leave a message and he never called. Then I finally phoned his cellphone. One of his flunkies picked up his cellphone and answered it. He knew it was me, and he wouldn't talk to me. I said I was fed up with this and told them to get this thing straight, that I wasn't interested in this. He said, “We're coming at five o'clock tomorrow”, and so on. So I said okay, because I like nothing better than telling somebody right to their eye, “You're finished.” I really don't like to do it on the phone. I'd rather belt them in the mouth, to tell you the truth, anyway. Sorry.
He didn't show up at 5:30. I had smoke coming out of my ears. I really did. I was so angry. I said to Stephen—because I can't text—“Use my phone, text him, and tell him he's unprofessional; it's over.”
Within three minutes, that Frank guy, whose name you've heard mentioned here, with one of his associates, phoned back and said, “Jim, we texted you at 3:30”—they hadn't—“to say we wouldn't make it.” I said, “It doesn't matter, Frank. What do you not understand about over? It's over. You tell the guy it's over; I'm finished with him.” We were well finished. Frank phoned me two or three times, and I said, “Frank, it's over.” And it was. We've never spoken again.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
He never came back to you about the contract again.