Evidence of meeting #61 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was telford.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Ms. Telford, for being here today.
The document received from the Privy Council Office, the Prime Minister's department, which was requested on March 2 and received by this committee this morning, states that on September 28, cleared Liberal Party of Canada representatives were given a security briefing. Who were the senior Liberal Party officials who were part of that briefing?
Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister
I was not, and I believe you have invited to this committee the national campaign directors of the 2019 and 2021 campaigns, so they can speak to that in more detail.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Do you know who the cleared representatives were for the Liberal Party?
Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister
I know that Azam Ishmael, whom you have invited to the committee, was one of those cleared representatives.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Was Zita Astravas one of those cleared individuals?
Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister
I don't believe so.
Conservative
Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister
I can't say that with absolute certainty, but I don't believe so.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
To your knowledge or has it been brought to your attention since that time that the then candidate for Don Valley North was made aware of the contents of any of the briefings given to cleared officials with the Liberal Party?
Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister
I'm sorry. I'm not sure I'm following. Was he...?
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
The candidate for Don Valley North: To your knowledge, was he given a readout or made aware of the contents of the briefing that was given to the cleared officials with the Liberal Party?
Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister
Not to my knowledge, but I was not involved in that at all during the campaigns. I was on full-time leave for both campaigns, on the road with the Prime Minister for the whole campaign, so these things were managed by headquarters.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Okay.
For the 25 ridings in the GTA, who would have been responsible for them, to the best of your knowledge, during the campaign, on behalf of the party?
Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister
I'm not sure I'm understanding again. Do you mean in terms of who was the campaign coordinator for the GTA?
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Yes, a regional organizer.
Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister
I'm not even sure. I'm not the best person to speak to that.
If you wanted to ask me about 2015, I could help you out, but you're going to need to talk to the 2019 or 2021 campaign directors. I'm not even sure how it was carved up within the GTA.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Okay. That's not something that you would have known in your capacity on that campaign.
Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister
No. I'm sure I know the person, but I'm not sure which person it was or even if it was done in the way you're describing.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Okay, and your role on the campaign was...?
Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister
I was on the bus, as they say, or on the plane, throughout the entirety of the campaigns in 2019 and 2021.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Would you have access to those names now if you asked?
Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister
Yes, I'm sure I could follow up. Yes.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Would you undertake to provide those names, the names of the individuals responsible for the GTA during the 2019 election campaign? Can you provide those to the committee?
Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister
Madam Chair, I can follow up on the government side, though I would encourage the parliamentary committee.... Since you have the national campaign directors from those campaigns coming, it's probably more appropriate to be coming from the party side.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Yes, but just to be clear, you're going to—