Government Operations Committee on Nov. 23rd, 2010

[Marc Lemay, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

I will have an opportunity to come back to this, Mr. Chairman, obviously. We still have a little time left.

At the cocktail party attended by Mr. Paradis, and where his cashmere coat unfortunately disappeared, did you meet any other individuals or other contractors like you who had contracts on Parliament Hill?

[Paul Sauvé]

I heard the Broccolini brothers, because there were sort of picnic tables set up in this posh establishment--

[Marc Lemay, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

You don't seem to have appreciated that.

[Paul Sauvé]

No.

I heard the Broccolini brothers talking to the Minister for more than 40 minutes about their qualifications. I heard that they were talking exclusively about construction and their firm's qualifications.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Unfortunately, your time is up. Sorry.

Mr. Martin, five minutes, please.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you.

Along the same vein, at a different meeting, Monsieur Varin took you to a lunch meeting where you met Hubert Pichet, You said you changed tables and that clearly it wasn't an accident that you met Mr. Pichet at that luncheon. Is that correct?

[Paul Sauvé]

It was not an accident.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Did you read this as being part of the service you were paying Mr. Varin for, to introduce you to these people who could help you?

[Paul Sauvé]

That's certainly what it felt like.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

What was Mr. Pichet's role at the time, do you know? Who did he work for?

[Paul Sauvé]

I didn't know. He appeared literally out of the boys' room and came through the small hallway, and I was beckoned to change tables. He had a crown pass with a maple leaf, with his name on it.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

A crown pass? What do you mean by that, sir?

[Paul Sauvé]

Well, he seemed to have a parliamentary pass. I couldn't really read it, but he had a red string around his neck with a parliamentary pass of some type.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I see. You don't remember if it was red or not?

[Paul Sauvé]

It was red, yes.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I see. Senators use red.

Did you pay Varin his $275,000 kickback?

[Paul Sauvé]

No, we did not.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

What did you sense Mr. Varin meant when he said he walks the halls of Parliament in felt shoes? I think you said he walks the halls softly. His testimony to us was that he wore felt boots when he tiptoed or skulked around the halls of Parliament.

[Paul Sauvé]

Well, I hoped he wasn't in his pyjamas, but—

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I think that's a trick other mobsters use when they go to court: they wear their pyjamas.

[Paul Sauvé]

I can only imagine what he did. I knew Varin for having helped in several other contracts many moons ago, the army base at Longue-Pointe and the museum of humour in Montreal on Saint Laurent Boulevard. He was Marcel Masse's chief of staff.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

He was Marcel Masse's chief of staff?

[Paul Sauvé]

I believe so. So his reputation preceded him as somebody who could deliver the goods.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I understand.

You mentioned in your testimony that Bernard Côté indicated he might be able to help you. Did you know at the time that he was Mr. Fortier's assistant, the minister's assistant?

[Paul Sauvé]

He did introduce himself as Michael Fortier's assistant. He was more interested in the trade war between Quebec and Ontario, in terms of labour mobility and the possibility of our having the rightful right to come and bid on Public Works contracts.