Evidence of meeting #132 for Justice and Human Rights in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cabinet.
A video is available from Parliament.
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
No. As I think I stated in answer to a previous question, I was there with one Privy Council officer, my deputy secretary of operations, and there were three people from the company.
St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC
Okay. Thank you for that.
You also said that you had many requests from SNC-Lavalin, that you met with them before in relation to this. You had?
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
I can go through the entire chronology of my contact with SNC, if you wish.
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
I'm happy to table it.
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
There were emails—
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
No, I want to get this on the record, if you don't mind.
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
There were email requests for a meeting in May 2017, and I didn't take the meeting. There were email requests for a meeting in August 2017, and I didn't take the meeting. There were email requests for a meeting on September 18. That's the meeting I took, which is registered.
I ran into SNC executives at the NAC gala. I do remember the evening. Diana Ross was there. They had bought a table at the gala. As soon as I saw that they were there, my wife and I left the event, went home and missed a good dinner.
I had a request from—
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
No, I think it's important to get this on the record.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Housefather
Mr. Wernick, at the end of the meeting, I will give you a chance to put that into the record. Okay? We'll make sure that it's there.
Mr. Cooper, continue with your time.
St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC
At the meeting on September 17 between the Prime Minister and the former attorney general, did the former attorney general advise the Prime Minister of the director of public prosecution's September 4th decision not to enter into negotiations with SNC-Lavalin?
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
I think she advised the Prime Minister of her view that a deferred prosecution agreement was not a good course and she had no intention of intervening. And indeed, she never has intervened.
St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC
I asked you specifically if she raised the issue of that September 4th decision.
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
I don't recall that that came up. It was not that specific. This was a couple of minutes in a long meeting about the recognition of rights framework and an attempt to keep that agenda moving forward. You'll recall that the Prime Minister made a speech in Parliament on Valentine's Day last year stating that he wanted a rights recognition framework announced.
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
We were in September. It was not moving forward. The meeting was called to move forward the rights recognition framework—
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
—which was a matter before cabinet at the time.
St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC
Thank you. I understand that, Mr. Wernick.
At what point did you learn that the Prime Minister was going to fire Jody Wilson-Raybould, demote her—
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
The minister—