Evidence of meeting #36 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.
10:10 a.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
During the relevant period, obviously—you were there from 2006 to 2008—who was that?
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Former Minister of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
From memory, it was Tim McGrath. A team supported him because the department's real property division is enormous. As regards that aspect of real property, he had colleagues, but their names escape me. However, he was not all alone. There were three or four of them.
10:10 a.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
All right.
When you were briefed on the subject, was it explained to you where the works stood? Was it also explained to you where the RFPs stood and how that was going?
10:10 a.m.
Former Minister of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
No, there wasn't really any talk about the RFPs.
It was explained to us, for example, that we had been told three months earlier that we had to lease so many square feet in order to rehouse the MPs, and we were told whether we had managed to do so or not. We were also told that we hoped to move the offices on such and such a date rather than another date, that the amounts necessary would be of such an order of magnitude or another or that we were meeting the budget.
So it depended on the briefing.
10:10 a.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
All right.
At that point, when you received that information, with who did you share it?
If you saw that there was a problem, with whom did you share it?
10:10 a.m.
Former Minister of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
With no one.
Someone from my office here in Ottawa attended the briefings, which were always given in Ottawa.
10:10 a.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
The briefings were always given in Ottawa.
Was Mr. Côté present?
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Former Minister of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
No, not at all.
10:10 a.m.
Former Minister of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
It was either my chief of staff or one of the assistants who had been assigned to the real property issue. Was it Neil Brodie or my chief of staff himself? I don't remember.
10:10 a.m.
Bloc
10:10 a.m.
Former Minister of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
I had two during that time.
I had Mr. Loiselle and Mr. Claude... Oh, he won't be pleased.
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Bloc
November 16th, 2010 / 10:10 a.m.
Former Minister of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
His name is Claude.
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Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
It's Claude something.
However, Mr. Loiselle was regularly at your side during that time.
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Former Minister of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
Yes.
10:10 a.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
All right.
When they gave you that information, did they tell you about the works on Parliament Hill, specifically the north tower
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Former Minister of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
No.
10:10 a.m.
Former Minister of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
The north tower?
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Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
I'm talking about the North Block, north of... Pardon me, it's the West Block.
10:10 a.m.
Former Minister of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
The north tower, frankly, doesn't ring a bell.
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Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
I should have said I was talking about the north tower of the West Block.
10:10 a.m.
Former Minister of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
So with regard to the West Block, it's yes.
10:10 a.m.
Bloc