Government Operations Committee on May 26th, 2010

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Well, sometimes I get my daughter to do things. She's not that old, but certainly kids have a better understanding of some of this.

In terms of the relationship that you had with Mr. Gillani, there have been reports. There was a Toronto Star reporter who reported that there was a $1 billion deal to take your business public. There were allegations that Mr. Jaffer and Mr. Gillani would somehow benefit from that deal financially. I wonder if you could set the record straight. Can you elaborate? Can you tell us?

You've stated that Mr. Gillani and Mr. Jaffer had no business dealings or relationship financially with your company, but there have been these reports. We need some clarity, I think, on that.

[Jim Wright]

Mr. Gillani would have liked to take it somewhere, but not where I'd go.

First of all, he was introduced to me through one of my associates by one of his associates. I didn't really want to meet him because they said he wanted to take it public. I said, “I'm not going public”. I'm in business myself. I said, “Why would you take a good company public? If it's a good company, keep it.” So I didn't want to do that, but he had ideas, and I listened to him. That's the day he started off with his Ismaili Muslim stuff.

Anyway, his idea just didn't work out. I've been in business for many years, and I have good equipment, and it is all over the world. People want to take it and steal it. They all think I'm Irish and I'm green or something, but I'm not. I'm not that dumb. I've been around a long time, and they're not going to steal anything. So I show them the door. His ideas, what he was talking about, were his ideas. They were never going to happen with me. Never. So what they wrote and what he said was not on.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

You don't know then where this description of a $1 billion deal came from. Do you know where that came from? You don't.

[Jim Wright]

That's him promoting it.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Were you aware of the letter that Ms. Guergis wrote to the municipalities in the community in support of your company?

[Jim Wright]

Yes. She sent me a copy of it.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Obviously the connection was made by Mr. Jaffer, the initial conversation to initiate or solicit her support.

[Jim Wright]

He must have called her.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Right.

Did you get any indication as to whether there was an expectation of remuneration--that if things went well, Mr. Jaffer would benefit financially from a deal?

[Jim Wright]

There never was any anticipation. I only asked her as I would ask any MP. I asked the MPP up there, Garfield Dunlop. I went into his office in Midland and solicited him as well. I never got anything from him either.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Now, in all these conversations that took place between July and September between Mr. Gillani and Mr. Jaffer, did they state at some point that they could open the doors of the Prime Minister to you? If so, did they ever demonstrate that they had that capacity?

[Jim Wright]

Never. I mean, if he said that, I'd look at him and say, “You gotta be pulling my other leg”. Come on, that's daft, absolutely dopey. He never even tried it.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

So there was no financial interest that these gentlemen had in your company?

[Jim Wright]

No.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

You seem to indicate that you had no intention to develop a business relationship with these guys regardless as to what they could secure for you or claimed to secure for you.

[Jim Wright]

As I said before, Mr. Jaffer and Mr. Gillani are very nice men. I met them, and they were nice men. But they're not professional. They're not sharp. They're not business guys, you know what I mean? They're not on the game. They don't know how business works. There's no way we give people money unless they do something for it. We do pay finders fees to people that bring projects to us, and things like that, because that's the way you get a project, and there are people out in this world who find projects for you.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

So these gentlemen did not secure federal funds for you?

[Jim Wright]

No.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Have you ever received federal funds for any projects?

[Jim Wright]

No.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

It sounds like you got wrapped up in an investigation here that clearly you'd prefer not to be in, and it seems to be that there are limited connections to you, or to the government, certainly.

This is the question: is there any connection between yourself, your company, either of your companies, and the green fund?

[Jim Wright]

Your green fund, you mean, here?

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

That's right, the federal green fund.

[Jim Wright]

No, I never got anything from it. I wish I'd never started it, this whole thing.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

I've expired my questions.