Public Accounts Committee on May 30th, 2024

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Bashir, when did you first meet with Kristian Firth as a public servant?

[Imraan Bashir]

I don't have an exact date for you. I can give you a rough guess: some time in 2017 or 2018.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Are you not required to document when you meet with potential partners who are outside, in the private sector?

[Imraan Bashir]

I think the level of documentation varies depending on the nature of the meeting. You know, a half-hour meeting with a vendor—

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

You said you met in the lobby of a government building. Did you report that?

[Imraan Bashir]

That's correct. At the time, my management knew I was meeting with Kristian Firth, yes.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

How did you report that to management?

[Imraan Bashir]

I generally debriefed my leadership team on all vendor meetings.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Did you write it down?

[Imraan Bashir]

I don't recall. It could have been an email.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

You don't recall.

[Imraan Bashir]

I don't have access to my email.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

You don't recall. You don't know when, but you know you met with them.

[Imraan Bashir]

Yes, I did, to the best of my knowledge. I don't have access to my old emails, but if I could speak generally—

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Whom did you report it to? Who were the members of your leadership team? Who was your supervisor?

[Imraan Bashir]

At that particular time, it probably would have been.... I'm sorry. I've worked for a number of different.... In 2017 or 2018, if memory serves, it would have been Marc Brouillard.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Is that when you met with Kristian Firth? Was it 2017 or 2018? When did you meet with Kristian Firth?

[Imraan Bashir]

To the best of my recollection, it was 2017 or 2018.

The reason I say that—

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

You don't know the year.

[Imraan Bashir]

Well, the reason I say that—

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

You have to know the month, at least.

[Imraan Bashir]

If you'll allow me to answer, I know it was in relation to when we released our digital operations strategic plan. In my head, I remember writing that in 2017. I just don't recall when it was published. Mr. Firth would have contacted me after the publication of that digital operations strategic plan.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

We're supposed to believe, Mr. Bashir, that, some time over the course of 2017 or 2018, you met with Kristian Firth in a government precinct and failed to disclose that in writing. Your mind seems to have failed you, as well, even on the month when you met with Kristian Firth.

Is that correct? Is that what you're telling us?

[Imraan Bashir]

Respectfully, you're asking me about a meeting from seven years ago. I'm doing my best to recall. The Treasury Board Secretariat likely has access to my calendar, so I suggest that might be the fastest way to get the exact meeting invite.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

I find it very difficult to believe that, some time in the two years of 2017 and 2018, it escaped your knowledge as to when you met with this person and whether or not you failed to disclose it.

I'll ask you one more time. Did you disclose your meeting with Mr. Firth to anyone in writing?