Government Operations Committee on Dec. 7th, 2010

[Gilles Prud'homme]

They are Progressive Conservatives and they are not necessarily on the good side of the Conservative Party, now.

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

Right.

[Gilles Prud'homme]

We former Progressive Conservatives have less influence than you believe.

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

That's the head office where Mr. Varin sits.

[Gilles Prud'homme]

I know that Mr. Varin is often there, but because I only go there three times a year, I couldn't tell you how many times he goes there.

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

So you are more progressive than conservative?

[Gilles Prud'homme]

Yes, but...

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

But you no longer have a membership card, is that right?

[Gilles Prud'homme]

If I don't have one, I would have no problem getting a renewal. In fact, it might be a mistake, because I changed addresses at the beginning of the year.

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

Is it you who fills out the form that has to be sent to the Chief Electoral Officer after fundraising activities are held? You know the form, the one that was sent for-2007, 2008 and 2009?

[Gilles Prud'homme]

The financial officer filed the annual report. I'm aware of the report and I was present when the financial officer and the auditor, Mr. Guindon, met.

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

There was $30,000 transferred. Who was it transferred to?

[Gilles Prud'homme]

It was transferred from the party to the official agent. It was a loan from Ms. Allaire. It appears in the financial reports.

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

If I'm not mistaken, it is a loan that the party made to Ms. Allaire, who was in an election campaign.

[Gilles Prud'homme]

No. She made a loan to the party so we could cover the expenses of the election campaign. The refund for the expenses, because we got more than 10% of the votes, covered about $20,000.

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

It was $21,300.

[Gilles Prud'homme]

The purpose of holding the cocktail party was to get the $10,000 shortfall.

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

Now I understand.

So this was the cocktail party that was held in January 2009?

[Gilles Prud'homme]

Yes, on January 19, 2009.

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

Do you know the people who attended the cocktail party?

[Gilles Prud'homme]

As I told you, I knew three people who were there: Mr. Sauvé, whom I had met on November 15, Mr. Varin—I knew who he was, and Roger Plamondon, whom I had met at other activities, at the time when I was active at the municipal level in the LaSalle region. Mr. Plamondon was close to former Prime Minister Paul Martin, who was then the member for LaSalle—Émard.

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

Did you sell or give away cards for that dinner?

[Gilles Prud'homme]

No, I didn't sell any. I also didn't give any away, except that we agreed that the candidate's family and Mr. Padulo's family, and people from other associations who were not contractors, would be there. I could have said that there were the mother, father, uncle or son of the restaurant owner, or that those people were from such and such an association.

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

If I'm not mistaken, you chose Mr. Paradis because he was the minister responsible for the Montreal region during that period.

[Gilles Prud'homme]

Yes. I intended to see whether, after the election, we could start the party back up in Montreal. Ultimately, since January 2009, I can see that isn't the case.

That being said, yes, he was invited as minister responsible for the Montreal region.