Evidence of meeting #128 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was sdtc.
A recording is available from Parliament.
7:45 p.m.
Conservative
7:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
You don't recall. In the minister's office, somebody who reported to Mr. Cairo is who you reported that to.
7:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Did you speak to anyone in the PMO?
You had formerly worked in the PMO only a few months earlier. You're telling me that you never spoke to anyone in PMO appointments who was responsible—not the PCO—for running this process.
7:45 p.m.
As an Individual
Once again, it would not have been my role or my place to provide any sort of guidance or advice on appointments [Inaudible—Editor]—
7:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
You're saying you didn't speak to anyone in the Prime Minister's Office about this at any time?
7:45 p.m.
As an Individual
Not that I recall. I did not speak to anyone in the Prime Minister's Office regarding Ms. Verschuren.
7:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Will you go back in your notes and supply us with the person in the minister's office who you spoke to?
Mr. Cairo, did the policy person in your office ever report to you about the objection of the president about the chair?
7:45 p.m.
Former Chief of Staff, Department of Industry, As an Individual
Mr. Perkins, I left in August 2019.
7:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
She was appointed in June 2019, so you were still the chief of staff.
7:45 p.m.
Former Chief of Staff, Department of Industry, As an Individual
Absolutely. Ms. Verschuren was appointed through a process that involved—
7:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
I know what the process is. I don't need you to repeat Mr. Bains' talking points again.
Who in your office told you that the CEO objected to the appointment of this chair because there was conflict, and did you have that report?
7:45 p.m.
Former Chief of Staff, Department of Industry, As an Individual
Mr. Chair, I do not recall any conversation around—
7:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Boy, there must be something in the water at that ISED office, because everybody has amnesia. Mr. Noseworthy has amnesia. Mr. Bains has amnesia. You have amnesia. Ms. Bhullar has amnesia about whom she talked to. I could swear you all worked together in the Liberal Party and are covering up for something.
Now, Mr. Bains, are you telling me, after everything that has been testified before this committee, that nobody in your staff told you about the conflict, and you went ahead anyway?
7:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Don't give me an appointments process lecture again.
7:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
Mr. Perkins, just let the witness answer, and then that's all time you have.
Mr. Bains.
7:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
You have no responsibility for anything that happened when you were minister—
7:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
Thank you very much, Mr. Perkins.
I'll now turn it over to MP Van Bynen for five minutes.
7:45 p.m.
Liberal
Tony Van Bynen Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair
With 30 years' experience as a bank manager and being engaged with small businesses that have an idea and want to create jobs, I want to thank you for coming forward to let us know what this program is all about. I want to make sure that we don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Thank you very much for having the fortitude to withstand this type of interviewing, and thank you for at least contributing to the positive side of what this corporation can do.
Now, we have the process of incubators, accelerators, angel investors and venture capital, but I understand that the organizations you represent are on the incubator side, where there's high risk and low tolerance for risk for anyone other than people who have equity positions. Can you tell me what the industry does?
I'm getting a little frustrated. All we're talking about is money coming out of a corporate spigot. That's not what this is about. This is about investing in ideas. It's about investing in jobs. It's about investing in our international profile and advancing the industry.
Is there anyone who can tell me...? From your experience, how many jobs have you created, Mr. Khan?
7:50 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Smarter Alloys Inc.
It's difficult to come up with a number because we do a lot of contract work externally, and spend millions of dollars with contractors in Alberta, Ontario and elsewhere. If I had to estimate, we're probably in the triple digits now. We've probably created 90 to 100 jobs.
Of my staff, about 60% are Ph.D.'s, scientists and researchers. I'd say about 25% are production staff, and then we have all of the in-between, like accounting—