Citizenship and Immigration Committee on April 19th, 2023

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Okay.

A Globe and Mail article yesterday stated, “More than 150 Afghans [are] stranded in Albania after receiving” this letter. The article says that, according to documents filed in a court case, “the lawyers say Ms. Robinson”, your consultant, “confirmed in a September, 2021 written exchange with someone whose name is redacted that the documents would allow the Afghans entry to Canada. ‘They will definitely be allowed to enter Canada with this letter’, Ms. Robinson wrote”.

How do you square that circle?

[Marilou McPhedran]

I think Ms. Robinson has to square that circle. You may want to invite her to come and speak with you.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Do you believe you delegated the authority to Ms. Robinson to make these types of claims?

[Marilou McPhedran]

I believe I asked Ms. Robinson to work with me as a volunteer and that the delegation you're talking about.... I was not overseeing every word Ms. Robinson wrote.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Did you personally see every name affixed to the altered facilitation letter before it was sent out?

[Marilou McPhedran]

By “altered” do you mean the second template I received?

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

The second, yes.

[Marilou McPhedran]

No, I did not.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Okay.

How many “trusted” advocate groups in other countries did you send the second template to?

[Marilou McPhedran]

It was not that many. We were working with the former captain of the Afghan national soccer team, Khalida Popal, who was the person who initially asked me.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Did anyone—

[Marilou McPhedran]

May I answer the question, please?

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Sure.

[Marilou McPhedran]

Thank you.

We were working with the chief human rights officer for FIFA. We were also working with a former Canadian Olympian, who is now a lawyer in Australia, and with a network in the United States.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Okay.

Did anyone in Global Affairs, IRCC or the Department of Defence authorize you to send the second template to those groups for further distribution?

[Marilou McPhedran]

Authorization in writing.... I've told you what I received in writing.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Just give me a yes or no on the record here. Did they...?

[Marilou McPhedran]

I took it to be authorization, yes.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Okay.

Did you ever seek further clarification, outside of the copying on the email? Did you expressly ask whether you could further distribute the second template letter to these organizations?

[Marilou McPhedran]

The agreement was acted upon and was evidenced in many of our communications. It was very clear that this is what was happening.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Are there any other ministers or ministers' office staff whom you feel directly knew about what was happening in your office?

[Marilou McPhedran]

Absolutely. We were copying ministers regularly.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Who?

[Marilou McPhedran]

It was not on every single email. It depended on the topics, but it was Minister Sajjan, Minister Monsef, Minister Mendicino and Minister Garneau.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

So they all would have had direct knowledge that this was happening.