Evidence of meeting #26 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 know.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
During that conversation, did he encourage you not to get involved in lobbying?
Green Power Generation Corporation
He said it would be tough. He said, “I know as the chair of caucus you're exempt from the Lobbying Act, so you're one of those public officials who could lobby.” This is when I volunteered the information, and I said, “I'm not comfortable with it.” He said, “You're right to probably avoid it.”
Conservative
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
Did you get other advice as to whether you should register or not?
Green Power Generation Corporation
As I said, Mr. Lauzon, we followed the spirit and the letter of the law. We didn't take...the Lobbying Act—
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
But as per your interpretation of it, what you thought you should do.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
You didn't seek other advice. You didn't seek the Ethics Commissioner's advice or a lawyer's advice, or anything like that; you just said, probably we don't need to lobby.
Green Power Generation Corporation
As I said, my partner is a lawyer, and he knew the law. He advised that unless we take money for any activities or talking to government, there's no need to register.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
But wouldn't it have been prudent to register at that time?
Green Power Generation Corporation
But I just told you we never took any money to lobby, so why would we register?
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
Do you not agree that it would have been prudent even if you weren't planning to take money? For example, if you would have registered at that time, I think you'll agree we wouldn't be having this conversation. You would have saved yourself a heck of a lot of grief, you would have saved your wife a tremendous amount of grief, and you would have saved a heck of a lot of the committee's time, all of us, just by registering.
Green Power Generation Corporation
Mr. Lauzon, I have to disagree with you because what you're alleging is that I have lobbied, and I haven't.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
No, I didn't allege anything. What I'm saying is if you would have registered from the get-go, we would have had none of this. It would have been so simple.
Green Power Generation Corporation
But that would have been dishonest, Mr. Lauzon. I wasn't a lobbyist. I didn't want to lobby. I didn't want to register as a lobbyist. That's why I didn't take any money from my business to lobby.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
Now we're going back and forth here again. You said, if we come across a case where we're going to lobby, then we would have registered. Why the heck didn't you just register as soon as you started, and then there would be no more concerns? I don't even think it costs anything to register, does it, or very little?
Green Power Generation Corporation
Again, let me clarify, and I'm sorry if I've created confusion.
My intention was never to lobby. Therefore, we did not take any contracts for lobbying. We didn't register as a lobbyist. That hasn't changed.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
So with hindsight, with the benefit of hindsight, you don't think it would have been prudent to register?
Green Power Generation Corporation
I'm looking forward to the lobbying commissioner's report on that. I think she will clarify a number of factors that I think are confused by many people about what lobbying means. So I would refer to her expertise on that.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Mr. Lauzon, you're done. Thank you.
Mr. Guimond, you have five minutes.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I would like to ask a question about the use of Ms. Guergis' office on the Hill, in the Confederation Building. Of course because she was a minister, she had a ministerial suite. Is that correct?
Green Power Generation Corporation
She had an office in Confederation. I've seen many ministerial offices. I wouldn't describe hers as a ministerial suite.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
On the door, it said: “Helena Guergis, Minister of State (Status of Women)”? I suppose you are going to tell me that you went into her office without ever looking at what was on the nameplate on the door.
Green Power Generation Corporation
I don't know. I can't tell you that. I know it had her name on it. I don't know whether it had the ministerial—