Right.
Tom Clark appeared at this committee September 12, 2024. I'm going to read out his words. He said:
Mr. Chair, I will repeat once again, and please, if you wish, you can put me under oath for this. I had nothing to do with the decision to sell the old [official residence]. I had nothing to do with the decision to buy the new OR. I had nothing to do with deciding on its amenities or its location.
Officials, we have two official documents from your department that say the contrary. The first was obtained through an ATIP. It says the consul general, in April 2023, two months after his appointment and shortly after his famous jovial ride in the limousine with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, informed ACM senior management, “that the property is not suitable for representational activities, and it is not suitable as a residence and requires immediate replacement.”
That follows up with an email from Emily Nicholson, which confirms that the consul general, Tom Clark, and his staff were “instrumental throughout this process, with [Tom Clark] providing the greenlight for the selection of the new residence.”
These are two official documents from your department that cast serious discrepancies on the veracity of Mr. Clark's statement. It's time for you to stop running cover for Tom Clark and to confirm, as you've already confirmed, that you've been in regular contact with his office and that he was indeed instrumental. He asked for an immediate replacement.
Both versions of the truth can't be right at the same time. Tom Clark has been lying to this committee and lying to the public, and you and other officials at GAC are covering up for this lie.
What do you have to say about that?