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

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Ms. Ratansi, you're up next.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Thank you, Mrs. Block. I can share your disappointment when you have done research on your staff and it turns out he really does not know his job. You're here really to help us ensure that this doesn't happen again.

I'll ask you some brief questions. You said there was an e-mail from Ullyatt to your Shaw account at 7:30 p.m. What was the purpose of that e-mail, and was this before or after you knew you were going to fire him?

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

I had been shown the e-mail by Mr. Graefe. I got to the airport and I wanted to confirm with Mr. Ullyatt that he had indeed received the report. I also wanted a copy of the report. I sent him an e-mail asking him to confirm if he received the report and asking him to send me the report.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

So at 7:30 he sent you a report. You say you knew about the leak from your staff. I'm having a little difficulty here, so help me out.

You found out about the leak as you were leaving Ottawa.

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

Yes, as I was leaving my office at 5:45.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Then you got onto the plane.

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

I got into the cab, I got into the plane, and while we were waiting to take off, I believed I needed to confirm with Mr. Ullyatt that he had received the report and that he needed to send me a copy--

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

This was at 7:30 p.m.?

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

No, this was close to 7 o'clock Ottawa time.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Why did you ask him to send it to your Shaw account?

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

I did not ask him to send it to my Shaw account. I received an e-mail back from him informing me that he had indeed received the report, that he had printed it and placed it in a binder, and that he would forward it to my home account.

I then e-mailed him back and asked him to please send it to my “blockk9” account, as I would review it at my office.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Can you table those e-mails for us, please?

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

Yes, I can.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Okay.

Everybody has been asking these questions, yet there's an elephant in the room. You, and only you, can help us with the elephant in the room. The elephant in the room is this: were you aware of all his activities? I ask because if my staff were to do to me what your staff did to you, I would take offence.

If my staff had boxes outside my office, I would ask, “What are those boxes for?” Would you not think it prudent for you as an MP to find out what those boxes were doing outside your office?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Madam Ratansi, I'll say it again: we're here to look at the—

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

I know. I am not on a witch hunt. I am just—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Please let me finish.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

—asking a question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Please let me finish—

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

I know.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

—and maybe you'll understand what I'm trying to say.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Okay. It doesn't go against my time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Well, if you ask questions that are not relevant, they may.

My point here is, let's talk about the privilege.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Okay.

Mr. Ullyatt, when he came here, said he had printed off the draft finance report for you and that you had asked him to send it to the Shaw account. Was he lying?