Evidence of meeting #137 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 meeting.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Colin Fraser Liberal West Nova, NS
And when that issue came up, what can you tell us about what was discussed regarding SNC-Lavalin at that meeting?
As an Individual
I covered all that I can recall in my opening statement, Mr. Fraser. I didn't give it a moment's thought at the time, afterward. I just thought, I guess the minister wanted my perspective on that.
Liberal
Colin Fraser Liberal West Nova, NS
And in the conversation, she was the one who brought up that issue with you?
Liberal
Colin Fraser Liberal West Nova, NS
Mr. Rankin mentioned a moment ago that in her testimony, she said there was a “barrage of people hounding me and my staff”, and she wanted to bring that to your attention.
You didn't recall that. Do you recall her saying anything regarding anyone inappropriately pressuring her, or her feeling like she was not being treated fairly with regard to this matter?
As an Individual
No, and I believe I would have done something immediately about it. I was heading to the airport to meet the Prime Minister to go to the first ministers' meeting in Montreal, and I would have done something about it.
Liberal
Colin Fraser Liberal West Nova, NS
In the follow-up text messages and communication you had with her afterwards, it seemed as though, I guess, they corroborated the fact it was a cordial meeting that you'd had; it was a nice dinner and—
As an Individual
Yes.
Minister Wilson-Raybould and I would have dinner maybe two, three, sometimes four times a year, and we'd catch up on a whole lot of things. I learned a tremendous amount from her and I have a lot of respect for her. This is a very unfortunate series of events.
Liberal
Colin Fraser Liberal West Nova, NS
Was there any briefing that was done with anyone else after the December 5 meeting, from your point of view...anything related to conversations—
As an Individual
I may have mentioned the next day in Montreal that I had suggested or.... I usually debrief Katie—Ms. Telford, rather—or the Clerk maybe. I don't know. I don't have a clear recollection of it, to be honest.
Liberal
Colin Fraser Liberal West Nova, NS
Okay.
It was quoted that you had said you disliked the law and that “we need a solution on the SNC stuff”.
You made comment about that, but that's not the way you would have characterized that.
As an Individual
No, no. And I appeal to the first-hand knowledge of the people who have worked with me over the years on very delicate, sensitive matters, including many of you around this table, and ask you whether or not that is in keeping with my character to do such a thing.
Liberal
Colin Fraser Liberal West Nova, NS
Okay, and regarding the Harper-era law that you were talking about, you talked about the fact that there was a director of public prosecutions brought up and that that happened in the time that Stephen Harper was the prime minister. That was the context of that.
As an Individual
Yes, that's it. It was a chronological point, not a political one.
Conservative
Lisa Raitt Conservative Milton, ON
Mr. Butts, you said that you've reviewed your texts since you resigned from PMO. How did you still have possession of your government phone?
As an Individual
I acquired the ability to review my texts through my counsel. I do not have possession of my government phone.
Conservative
Lisa Raitt Conservative Milton, ON
You don't have your phone, so you received the access to the phone. Is that what you're saying?
As an Individual
However my legal counsel got the texts, that's how I got them. It was through my legal counsel.
Conservative
Conservative
Lisa Raitt Conservative Milton, ON
I'm asking how, if you gave up your phone when you left the PMO, you still had access to the phone to produce the texts today. You said you didn't; you received them from your legal counsel—
