Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Dec. 16th, 2010

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Very well.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

He was a full-time employee in my office.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Were you aware that he had friendships with the five lobbyists involved in this matter?

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Mr. Chair, I was not aware of the personal friendships that Mr. Ullyatt had.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Ullyatt testified that he knew Ms. Hamilton. Ms. Hamilton said that she had known Mr. Ullyatt since 2005.

When you hired Mr. Ullyatt in 2008, who recommended that you hire him? Was it someone with close ties to your party? Who recommended him for the job?

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

As I'm sure you are aware, you get elected and you start to receive a ream of résumés, CVs, from people who would like to work in an MP's office. He gave me his CV, and he seemed very knowledgeable. I hired him. He helped me set up my office.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

So you have known Mr. Ullyatt for two years, since 2008. You did not know him prior to that.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Yes.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

I have been an MP since 2006, and I know that you become fairly close to your parliamentary assistant, because you spend so much time together. You know a bit about their personal lives, the good times and the bad times, because of how much time you spend together.

You did not know, for instance, that your assistant went to the same church as Mr. Mains or that he had country club connections and relationships with the lobbyists in question. You were not aware of any of that?

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

I was not aware of any connections that Mr. Ullyatt had with any of the five lobbyists who received this report. We had a professional working relationship. We did not socialize, outside of any staff events that we would hold.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Could you...

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

One short question.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Fine.

Could you tell us whether you, personally, called each of the lobbyists to notify them or to discuss this matter? Did you contact the lobbyists?

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

I did not.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you.

Mr. Mulcair, seven minutes.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Block, fellow committee members, to make things easier, I am going to speak in English because it is my understanding that you do not speak French.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Thank you.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

As Speaker Milliken said in his ruling when he decided this was indeed a question of privilege...he reiterated a point that had been made during the debate, that this is an institutional and not an individual matter. I think we should all bear that in mind.

Precisely because it does affect this institution, I would remind you that this committee has been called for two hours today, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and you said in your opening statement that you planned to stay only for one hour. That would make it extremely difficult, with the four parties that have to ask you questions and the territory that has to be covered.

If this is indeed a question of respect of institutions...and you've pleaded with us since the beginning that this is the case, that you have this great respect for the institution. I don't put that in doubt for one second, and Mr. Lukiwski has been backing you up on that. I would ask you, colleague, to stay for the two hours that you were booked for this committee. That will give us enough time to cover these things properly.

Are you willing to do that?

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Mr. Chair, when I received the invitation to come to the committee, I understood that it was for an hour. That's what I committed to. I have other commitments on my schedule today.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

I can understand that, Mr. Chairman. But I think that given the institutional nature of this discussion, if the purpose is to show respect for those institutions, then whatever else might be on your schedule from noon to one, you might want to give priority to this. Otherwise, we simply won't have enough time in one hour. People will be allowed to draw whatever inferences they want from that.

It's quite clear from the committee that this was called for two hours. There has never been any question of your being here for less than two hours.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Mr. Mulcair, I have Mr. Lukiwski on a point of order.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

It's certainly not to interrupt Mr. Mulcair's testimony, and I trust that you will not be docking his time—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I will not for this part.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

--but just to point out the obvious. Everyone here should know that Mrs. Block is not a compellable witness. She did not have to attend here. She is doing so voluntarily, of her own volition.

Whether or not we want her to stay for an hour, the fact is, I believe, that it is strictly up to Mrs. Block to determine how long she is before us.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Everyone is equally free to draw whatever inferences they want from that.