Evidence of meeting #41 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was electricity.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Noon
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sherry Romanado
That is not actually the rule, but I will let you answer your question.
Thank you.
Noon
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Thank you.
I guess we're not going to get an answer. It looks like you and your company will continue to profit off the backs of poor and working-class Ontarians by taking these massive government subsidies that you wrote into a contract under your previous Liberal government.
I'll move to the first point of your presentation: fiscal sustainability.
Do you support Mr. Trudeau's structural deficits?
Noon
Vice-Chair, Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
As I said in my presentation, we should avoid structural deficits. Therefore, I make a distinction, as I believe you do, between the support that is provided during the COVID emergency and, once we emerge from this situation, avoiding having deficits being driven by current spending, which as I said in my presentation, do not grow the economy in the future.
Noon
Conservative
Noon
Vice-Chair, Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
In my judgment, it is on a sustainable fiscal path because the deficit by the end of year five is largely driven.... In fact, from what I can tell, it is driven by those growth-promoting measures, yes.
Noon
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
So, you do support it.
Do you think there's any chance that on this path we could have a debt crisis?
Noon
Vice-Chair, Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
For Canada, no.
Canada's situation is very strong. We must use, though, if I may add, our fiscal resources very wisely and—particularly with respect to the point of this committee's inquiry—to affect the type of proposals that have been discussed by my colleagues.
Noon
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Thank you.
Have you advised any ministers in the government, their staff or deputy ministers since September?
Noon
Vice-Chair, Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
Advised?
I have been asked questions from time to time by ministers and deputies, yes.
Noon
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
What about climate finance? Have you talked to them about that?
Noon
Vice-Chair, Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
I have talked to some ministers about climate finance.
I would remind—
Noon
Vice-Chair, Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
Well, I am the UN special envoy on climate action and finance. I have spoken to ministers, deputy ministers and leaders.
Noon
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
I'm sorry. You seem to be dodging the question. I don't know what you're hiding there.
Since September?
Noon
Vice-Chair, Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
Mr. Poilievre, I began with “yes”. That is not a dodge.
Noon
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Okay, good. Then you've answered the question.
Have you contacted the lobbying commissioner to find out if this is in contravention of the rules, given that you do stand to profit from the policy decisions in this area? You are part of a company that could potentially make financial gains from the massive subsidies and other government policies that you profited from at the provincial level. Have you checked with the lobbying commissioner as to whether you should be registered?
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
Ali Ehsassi Liberal Willowdale, ON
Madam Chair, I have a point of order.
As the member is fully aware, there has to be some relevance in his questions to what we're discussing here today. I certainly don't see the relevance.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sherry Romanado
Mr. Poilievre, I remind you that we are doing the study on the economic recovery. This is not a study of Mr. Carney's business profile, so can I ask that you please continue to focus your questions on the study?
Thank you.
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
I have a point of order, Madam Chair.
It's just on the point of relevance. The member's questions, absolutely, are relevant. When you, for example, go to website of Brookfield Asset Management, the second and fifth headlines are “Getting to Net Zero: A Global Opportunity” and “Driving tomorrow's economy with renewable power”, so it absolutely seems to me to be relevant within the scope of this particular study for the member to be pursuing questions with the witness about topics he himself presented on in his opening comments as relevant to the subject of the study.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sherry Romanado
I'm ruling that I'd like Mr. Poilievre to continue his questions but to make sure that they stay in line with the study. I'm giving him back his time if he would like to continue.
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Yes.
Mr. Carney, you stand to profit from these policies, and yet you are regularly intervening and influencing the decisions of ministers and deputy ministers. You've done so since you became an executive at Brookfield.
Did you register, yes or no, your interactions with the lobbying commissioner?