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.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
I would just note that Mr. Coderre is not a witness this morning, Monsieur Gourde.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
I just want to point out that Mr. Coderre had no reason to raise a point of order, something which wastes the committee's time.
Just to continue, no one has provided evidence of any irregularities on your part. Furthermore, all of the individuals that some people have been trying to connect to you for several weeks now, are individuals—as regards the ones you have closer ties to—whom you ran into at political events, or people that you never ran into. Is that correct?
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
So, the only conclusion that can be drawn from all of this is that what we're doing here is just wasting our time and attempting to clarify the coat incident. There is nothing else.
Conservative
Christian Paradis Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Listen, this has been going on for two months.
The question is whether there was political interference in the awarding of contracts. The answer is no. I have been saying that from the beginning. I am happy to finally be here today, in front of the committee. Right from the beginning, I was prepared to come. Officials also said the same thing, at the first meeting. Nothing has changed. Those are the facts. That is the reality.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
I have one final comment. The people whose names are mentioned in the report prepared following the cocktail party you attended showed that the donations were perfectly legal. There are people here who are trying to sully the reputation of honest Canadians who donate money to political parties, and hundreds of thousands of Canadians who donate money to political parties, when in fact, this is perfectly legal.
Conservative
Christian Paradis Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Absolutely.
That's why our government has tightened up the legislation regarding the disclosure of political donations and caps on such donations. Everything is transparent. We have confidence in our institutions.
As I already said, what is important for me is ensuring that, when I attend this kind of cocktail party, there is no lobbying going on. And that is in fact the case.
Conservative
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
Thank you.
It's too bad; perhaps we should have Mr. Coderre and ask him questions. But let's continue with Monsieur Paradis.
For the record, when was Monsieur Sauvé awarded the contract for the building?
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
And for the record, when were you appointed Minister of Public Works?
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
That's absolutely clear to me. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
Thank you, Mr. Holder.
We'll go to Mr. Martin for eight minutes, please.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Thank you, Chair.
Minister, let me start with the cocktail party again. The guest list was specifically put together of people who had benefited recently from contracts, as a shakedown for those contracts, so that those grateful contractors could show their thanks to the Conservative Party by benefiting you.
Do you not see that as a kickback?
Conservative
Christian Paradis Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
No, absolutely not.
Mr. Martin, it is ridiculous to try and make a connection between $400 or $500 political donations and contracts worth millions of dollars. That is completely far-fetched.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
But you see, we don't really know how much money was raised, because shortly thereafter, the Conservative riding association of Bourassa was deregistered by Elections Canada for failing to report income and revenue. So we have no idea. We know that they donated $500 or $1,000 up front, but we don't know what kind of shakedown went on, because this thing was organized by a guy who was a shakedown expert.
This Gilles Varin, this small-time hood Gilles Varin, is a serial shakedown artist. He has been charged, tried, and convicted of just that modus operandi: shaking down contractors. If you want the largesse, you know, the benefits of government contracts, you're going to kick back, and that's how it's done.
That's how Mr. Sauvé says he got his name. Mr. Sauvé testified, under oath, on a stack of Bibles, that he got that contract because he paid the right people, and he assumed that the money Mr. Varin was getting from him was used to bribe people in Public Works to get him on that list.
Conservative
Christian Paradis Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Well, you know, the relationship between Mr. Sauvé and Mr. Varin is something else I cannot comment on. If there were any criminal wrongdoings, I understand there is an investigation by the RCMP.
But let me tell you that when I was asked to attend that fundraiser, it was from the EDA president, and as I stated in French, I didn't have any reason to doubt it. I went there in good faith. When I saw that there were contractors there, what I had to do was make sure that it was a lobby-free zone, which indeed it was.
I can see now that Mr. Sauvé is pissed off about that.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Broccolini testified earlier, sitting in that very chair, that he went to that event so that he could speak to you about his gripes and his grievances over the tendering process. Do you think that's an appropriate time to be talking business with a contractor who's doing business with the Government of Canada under your watch?
Conservative
Christian Paradis Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
It's not appropriate, and this is why I referred him directly to bureaucrats, to the officials. I said, sir, I cannot comment on that, it's not my role here tonight; it's a lobby-free zone, so deal with the officials.
And that's what happened.
Conservative