It's very interesting. I believe the testimony you are giving right now is the truthful testimony, and I believe the testimony reflects that Minister Bains' testimony was actually not truthful. Former Liberal minister Bains, when he appeared, said that he never called anybody who wasn't on the list provided by PCO. It's very clear that they called you first, then asked you to apply and then the PCO list came about with those to be considered.
I believe, Mr. Chair, that is something that will require the reflection of this committee. We had a former minister of the Crown who I believe just lied before the committee about the appointment process and what was done. He said that very clearly. There were many other things he couldn't remember, but he remembered clearly that he didn't do anything that somebody else didn't tell him to do, and that somebody else was the Prime Minister's department, the PCO. That was actually a lie to this committee.
Ms. Verschuren, when you took this position—which, of course, is not something you do for pay, as we know, when it comes to government GIC appointments—there was the issue of the fact that NRStor, which you founded and owned, had already been doing business with SDTC, the Liberal green slush fund. In fact, Leah Lawrence, whom you inherited as the CEO, had warned Minister Bains' office, and his former PMO staffer under Prime Minister Trudeau who was working on government and communications for SDTC also warned the minister's department, that somebody who had a conflict should not be appointed. Ms. Lawrence testified before committee that you were the first chair appointed to this body who actually had been doing business with this body since it was founded in 2001.
Why did you think—I don't care about the Ethics Commissioner discussion, but why did you think personally—that it was okay for you to take on a job with an organization that was doing millions of dollars of business with NRStor, which you own?