Government Operations Committee on Nov. 30th, 2010

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

That is another debate. That is a whole other debate.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Madame Bourgeois, Minister, it's very difficult for the translators to keep up when both of you are talking at the same time.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

I would simply like to talk about your naiveté. You were the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, you were attending a fundraising event on behalf of the Conservative Party. You must have known that there would be people in the room who were eyeing certain government contracts, correct?

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

I trusted the riding president, who asked me to help him out with a fundraiser. I turned up at the event in good faith, expecting to meet with Conservative sympathizers.

If some people had other motivations, such as lobbying and, in that case, talking about contracts, well, I avoid that. I don't talk about contracts, and that evening, I did not discuss contracts.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Did you attend any other cocktail party fundraiser where there were people in attendance who had been awarded government contracts?

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

Yes.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Which one?

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

The one you referred to. It was in June, and Mr. Villeneuve, from Multivesco, was in attendance; I admit that. But there was no discussion of contracts in that case either.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

You were in the same restaurant where the first cocktail party was organized—Mr. Padulo's restaurant.

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

No, not at all.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Were you in a restaurant in your riding?

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

No. I was in Montreal, somewhere else.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

You were not at Mr. Padulo's restaurant?

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

No, I was not at Mr. Padulo's restaurant.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Is it normal for the Minister of Public Works and Government Services to be attending cocktail party fundraisers where there are people from the construction industry in attendance?

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

It is normal for a political lieutenant to organize cocktail party fundraisers all across Quebec. I attend these events in good faith, and I'm always proud to do so to help out the ridings. I expect to see Conservative sympathizers there. If some people go there to lobby and, in this case, to talk about contracts, well, I don't discuss those things. That doesn't prevent people from raising the subject. If they do, I refer them to departmental officials. That is what I have always done.

The question is whether there was political interference in the awarding of government contracts. That is what you want to know, and it is the purpose of the motion. The answer is no. Right from the beginning, officials told you that, and it has never been contradicted. That is at the centre of this debate.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Would you not agree that filling the coffers of the Conservative Party when you are the person who awards the most contracts in Canada does cause a some, even considerable confusion in terms of influence peddling?

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

Perhaps in your mind it does, but not when you're strict and refuse to talk about contracts, as I always have. There were never any discussions about these contracts. The important thing is to preserve the institution. In my case, I expect to see Conservative sympathizers at these cocktail parties.

Maybe I could turn the question around. If you had a list and a potential supplier to the Department of Public Works and Government Services were going to be in attendance, would that make him ineligible? Are we going to start to draw up a black list? More than 40,000 contracts a year are awarded by Public Works and Government Services Canada. It seems to me we need to be pragmatic.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Minister, all the people in attendance that evening at the Padulo restaurant were not Conservative sympathizers.

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

That's what you say. Personally, I was expecting to see Conservative sympathizers

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Those people testified in front of this committee and said they were not necessarily Conservatives.

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

They were guests. My riding president told me he was organizing a cocktail party fundraiser. I expected to see Conservative sympathizers there. However, even if some people had something else in mind, there was no discussion of contracts.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Minister, all of these people were connected to the construction industry. Theoretically, they might have had, or might previously have been awarded government contracts. You must admit that it's a little strange. It does raise questions.

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

Well, ask yourself the question.

The real issue is: was there political interference? Officials gave you the answer to that question at the committee's first meeting. And the clear and simple answer to that question is no.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Thank you, Minister.