Evidence of meeting #141 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 stripe.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
It's a simple yes or no, frankly.
So you don't know.
Conservative
Director, Public Policy, Stripe
In this instance, the board was not involved with this decision.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I'll ask a different question.
Prior to Mr. Carney accepting the role of economic adviser to the Prime Minister, did Stripe contact the federal lobbying commissioner to proactively ensure compliance with federal lobbying rules?
Director, Public Policy, Stripe
I want to make sure I'm precise on that, so if it's okay, may I please follow up with you?
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Certainly. Will you be tabling that with the committee?
Director, Public Policy, Stripe
I will follow up and work to follow up in the best way possible.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
No, no, no. You will table that with the committee. You're not going to be backdooring me on this. You'll table that with the committee, yes?
Director, Public Policy, Stripe
I'm not sure what that technically means. As I understand that—
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Well, it means.... Do you realize that not complying with the Lobbying Act can be a criminal matter that is taken up with the RCMP?
Director, Public Policy, Stripe
Again, I'll follow up and table it with the committee. I want to make sure we're precise on that.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Has the board ever discussed in Mr. Carney's attendance the impact of any sort of federal economic policy, including but not limited to taxation policy, on Stripe?
Director, Public Policy, Stripe
Are you asking whether the board has engaged in public policy advocacy in Canada?
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
No. I'm asking whether the board has ever discussed the impact of Canadian federal economic policy, including but not limited to taxation policy, on Stripe while Mr. Carney was on the board.
Director, Public Policy, Stripe
No, not to my knowledge. I'm responsible for public policy, and I'm not aware—
Conservative
Director, Public Policy, Stripe
—of any engagement by any member of our board.
Conservative
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Is Stripe not concerned about the optics of one of its board members making economic policy for the federal government without any sort of guardrail or proactive compliance measure to ensure that it doesn't run afoul of federal lobbying rules?
Director, Public Policy, Stripe
Like I said, I'm not engaged with the board. In this instance, the board was not involved in the decision at question here in the hearing today, and—
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
So the board would never have discussed the impact. You have it right on your website that the reason you're not passing these savings along to small businesses is because of federal taxation policy. Ostensibly, that has an impact on business operations.
Just to be clear and on the record, you are saying that the board never discussed this type of taxation policy or any sort of federal economic policy impact on Stripe's operation.
Director, Public Policy, Stripe
To my knowledge, no member of the board has engaged on behalf of Stripe on a public policy matter—
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
No, no. I'm asking if they discussed it, not if they lobbied.
Here are the optics, right? You have a member of your board who has a direct line to the finance minister and the Prime Minister, and now you are a beneficiary of a federal government policy. They didn't include any sort of caveat saying that you have to pass this savings along to small businesses.
Don't you think that looks a little sus?