Public Accounts Committee on May 7th, 2007

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

So in order to circumvent the rules of contracting, the RCMP had to pay Consulting and Audit Canada and Mr. Smith's company a piece of the pie, even though they really did not do any final work.

[Greg McEvoy]

Other than the administering of the contract and the handling of the invoices and payments, that was the process then employed.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

What did Mr. Smith's company get paid for this?

[Greg McEvoy]

I believe it was, as Mr. Smith said, between 5% and 10% of the contract value.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

That worked out to—?

[Greg McEvoy]

With this one contract itself?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Yes.

[Greg McEvoy]

I believe it would have been somewhere in the range of $5,000 to $8,000.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Okay.

Mr. Brazeau, you're Mr. Smith's cousin?

[Frank Brazeau]

Second cousin.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

You're his second cousin.

You were involved in the political riding association where Mr. Smith was a political candidate. Is that not correct?

[Frank Brazeau]

In the riding association, I was suspended with pay in September 2004.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

From the riding association?

[Frank Brazeau]

No. I was suspended from work in September 2004, with pay. I joined Mr. Smith's riding association in December 2004.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

What was your position there?

[Frank Brazeau]

I was secretary.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

So you were secretary of the Liberal riding association in the riding of Pontiac?

[Frank Brazeau]

Correct.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Did you think it was appropriate for you to be giving contracts to your cousin?

[Frank Brazeau]

I never gave a contract in my life, sir. I am not a contracting officer. I had no signing authority. The agency is the one that gave out contracts. I did not give contracts.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

So you didn't make any decisions on who won bids? Because it indicates in the audit that you were involved in amending RFPs and directing these contracts.

[Frank Brazeau]

It's not an audit, for your information, it's a review. A big question that I had is how a report of this review was tabled to this committee without going through the proper channels, which is ATIP.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Did you score Mr. Smith's firm at any point?

[Frank Brazeau]

Did I score—?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Yes. When he was competing for contracts, did you score his firm?