Evidence of meeting #40 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 sauvé.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Christian Paradis Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
That is another debate. That is a whole other debate.
Liberal
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.
Bloc
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?
Conservative
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.
Bloc
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?
Conservative
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.
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
You were in the same restaurant where the first cocktail party was organized—Mr. Padulo's restaurant.
Conservative
Bloc
Conservative
Bloc
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?
Conservative
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.
Bloc
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?
Conservative
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.
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Minister, all the people in attendance that evening at the Padulo restaurant were not Conservative sympathizers.
Conservative
Christian Paradis Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
That's what you say. Personally, I was expecting to see Conservative sympathizers
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Those people testified in front of this committee and said they were not necessarily Conservatives.
Conservative
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.
Bloc
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.
Conservative
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.