Government Operations Committee on Nov. 30th, 2010

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I call the meeting to order.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen.

First of all, welcome, Minister Paradis—

to the government operations committee.

I note that two out of the three people who are to be defenestrated are here on this committee, which means that by next Thursday this committee will be much lighter and their spouses will now recognize them as spouses.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

We hope they'll do more than recognize us, Mr. Chair.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I want to note that colleagues, when they're asking questions, tend to ignore the chair. We now have a new timer--this is particularly for Mr. Lemay--and a little chime will sound to let people know their time is up. It will be a musical occasion.

Minister Paradis, welcome to the committee. As you know, you have 10 minutes in which to make an opening statement, as you wish, and then members will ask questions in sequence.

Minister Paradis, please make your statement.

I'll ask the media to leave the room as well, please. Thank you.

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I would also like to thank committee members for this opportunity to meet with you today. I am very grateful to finally have the chance to present the facts and set the record straight regarding allegations made about me in recent weeks.

For almost five years now, it has been my honour and privilege, as a federal member of Parliament, to represent the people living in the riding of Mégantic—L'Érable, people who are humble, proud and honest, honourable people, starting with my grandfather who was a police officer and my father who is a lawyer — two men who taught me that integrity is a value that has no price, that cannot be bought or negotiated, a value that is taught and that I, in turn, am trying to instill in my three young children.

Since 2008, I have also had the honour and privilege of serving in the federal Cabinet, first as Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada and currently as Minister of Natural Resources. These are responsibilities that I have always taken, and continue to take, very seriously.

If we are together today, it is to look at the awarding of contracts for the renovation of the Parliament buildings by Public Works and Government Services Canada. It is to ascertain whether, yes or no, anyone who participated in a cocktail party fundraiser benefited personally from my presence there. It is to determine whether, yes or no, there was political interference in the awarding of federal contracts when I was Minister of Public Works and Government Services. To all these questions, I have been and continue to be absolutely categoric: the answer is no. No one benefited personally from my presence or their presence at a cocktail party fundraiser. No firm benefited from my presence or their presence, through a representative, at a cocktail party fundraiser. And, at no time did I exert any political pressure with respect to the awarding of government contracts, period.

Let me be perfectly clear: at no time whatsoever did I benefit from the fundraiser. At no time did any individual or firm who attended benefit from my presence or their presence at the fundraiser.

What I did do, as the Minister of Public Works, was to ensure that the procurement of contracts was done in a fair and transparent manner. It's a record that the non-partisan officials I worked with at the Department of Public Works have repeatedly confirmed before this committee, and it's a record that I'm proud of.

Let's take the example of renovation work on the West Block, on Parliament Hill: the chronology of events speaks for itself.

In 2007, Public Works and Government Services Canada launched a call for tenders for repairs to be made to the North Tower of the West Block. In May, 2008, one of the bidding companies, LM Sauvé, was awarded the contract. On June 25, 2008, I was appointed Minister of Public Works and Government Services. In April, 2009, when I was still the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, LM Sauvé lost its contract.

In other words, LM Sauvé was awarded the contract before I became Minister and lost it while I was Minister. It is as simple and clear as that. Never did I take advantage of my role as Minister of Public Works and Government Services to direct the process in a way that would benefit Mr. Sauvé's company.

Credible key witnesses who appeared before me could not have been clearer. Mr. Pierre-Marc Mongeau, Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for the Parliamentary Precinct Branch at the Department of Public Works and Government Services, made the following statement in front of this committee on October 26: “There was no political interference from the minister's office for the entire duration of the project.”

Mr. Tom Ring, Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for the Acquisitions Branch at the Department of Public Works and Government Services said the following: “There has not been any indication that anyone tried to influence the pre-qualification criteria or the process itself.”

Mr. Jacques Leclerc, Senior Director, Real Property Contracting Directorate, Department of Public Works and Government Services, added this: “You have to understand that, for very big contracts, even the minister does not have the authority to make the decision. He has to ask Treasury Board. There is an administrative structure that allows the authority delegated to our department also to be further delegated to other levels of activity.”

The facts are clear. As Minister of Public Works and Government Services, I always made a point of ensuring that the bidding process was carried out in a fair, open and transparent manner. That is a record that has been confirmed by impartial departmental officials I have been lucky enough to work with, and it is a record that I am proud of.

I look forward to taking your questions and discussing this matter with you today. I wish to thank you for giving me the chance to appear before you to do so.

I would be happy to take questions now.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you, Minister.

Mr. Coderre, you have eight minutes.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Minister, thank you for being with us today. My first question is very simple. Do you think that Paul Sauvé is a liar?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Paul Sauvé has made all kinds of allegations.

Like everyone else, I read an article in Le Devoir where Mr. Sauvé said he had been awarded this contract without political interference; he himself said that. Now he has stated in front of this committee that there was political interference.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

I will repeat my question. Do you think that Paul Sauvé is a liar, yes or no? He put his hand on the bible and made his remarks under oath.

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

I believe the facts themselves show that Mr. Sauvé lied.

When Mr. Sauvé was awarded this contract in 2008, he himself stated publicly, in an article that appeared in Le Devoir, that there had been no political intervention in the awarding of that contract.

I'm wondering about something else as well. Mr. Sauvé got in touch with you, Mr. Coderre, as political lieutenant, to enquire about running. What version did you believe back then? Did you believe there had been political intervention or not? That's what he said at the time.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Minister, did you meet with Mr. Bernard Côté or did you have any contact with him in 2008 and 2009 with respect to LM Sauvé?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

No, never.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Did you meet with Bernard Côté?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

I met him when he was a staff member for my predecessor, Mr. Michael Fortier. He was part of his staff and that's why I know him.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

You never talked about renovation contracts with him?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Never.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Did you participate in any political activities with Mr. Côté?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

No.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Was Mr. Côté not official agent for a riding?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

He may have been, but I didn't have any direct contact with him. As I mentioned, I met Mr. Côté when I was a member of Parliament and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and Mr. Côté was a member of Mr. Fortier's staff. That is where I first made his acquaintance.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

As political minister, do you go anywhere you're told to go without checking to see who will be attending these cocktail parties?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

First of all, Mr. Coderre, when I was appointed political lieutenant—and that is public knowledge—I said, at the Winnipeg convention, that I would try to restructure our organization in Quebec. That is what I was in the process of doing. I announced a new organizational structure in late May, 2009. In the meantime—

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

That was not my question.

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

I'm answering your question.