Evidence of meeting #27 for Public Safety and National Security in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was questions.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON
Again, my questions are more for those watching the proceedings.
Some of the lines of questioning and some of the questions raised in some quarters were basically...and you can confirm this. I think Commissioner O'Connor was certain that he received all the information necessary to make his determinations and final recommendations.
3:50 p.m.
National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister & Associate Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
I believe he confirmed that, and he confirmed that even though he did not in the end agree with the government on this 0.05%, he was comfortable that he could make public everything he needed to for his recommendations.
Just to be clear, there is 0.05% on which he disagrees with us, but he said it didn't affect his recommendations.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON
That's what I was coming to. There was no information that he wasn't able to release or see or relate to the public at large. You're saying that didn't influence in any way, shape, or form his ability to come to the recommendations he did. You're confident from the government's perspective at this time, and given what you know about it, that this is the case.
3:50 p.m.
National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister & Associate Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
Well, I guess more important than whether I'm confident or not is what Mr. Justice O'Connor said. I read what he said, and he said that he was comfortable that he had seen everything and that he was able to make his recommendations.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON
Very good.
Those are all the questions I have for now.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
Thank you, Mr. Norlock.
That ends the first round of questioning. We'll now go to the next round.
Mr. Alghabra, you're on my list. Do you have some questions?
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon to both of you, and thank you for coming.
I'm going to start by asking if you, like most of us, were surprised on September 28 by the testimony of Commissioner Zaccardelli when he said that he knew about the mishandling, perhaps, of the file of Arar in 2002. Were you surprised by that testimony?
3:50 p.m.
National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister & Associate Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
I was actually out of the country when he testified, so I did not hear his testimony. I did see the press reports. I knew very shortly thereafter that Mr. Zaccardelli wanted to return to the committee and clarify remarks.
I was not surprised he wanted to clarify his remarks. I wasn't clear what he had actually said.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga—Erindale, ON
You weren't clear on what he had said on September 28?
January 30th, 2007 / 3:55 p.m.
National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister & Associate Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office
No. I saw the press reports, but I was not here on September 28 to hear what Commissioner Zaccardelli said.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Okay.
Mr. Elliott, you heard the testimony, perhaps through TV or from reading the transcripts. When Commissioner Zaccardelli said he knew something had gone wrong in 2002, what was your reaction?
3:55 p.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
I was surprised that he indicated that.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga—Erindale, ON
You were surprised. So what actions did you or anybody in the department take in response to that surprise?
3:55 p.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
None other than to acknowledge that the commissioner requested an opportunity to come back before the committee to clarify his evidence.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga—Erindale, ON
I understand that the commissioner did not request to come back until November 2. So there is the period between September 28 and November 2.
3:55 p.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
That's not my understanding.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
3:55 p.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
I don't know the specifics, but my understanding was that there had been communications with the committee, I believe with the clerk, prior to the letter. But I don't have the details of that.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Okay.
Let's get back to the fact that we were all surprised by that testimony. Did you share your surprise with the minister, deputy minister, or anybody involved on that file?
3:55 p.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
No.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Do you think the department was surprised by that testimony?
3:55 p.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
I don't really know how to answer that. How the commissioner's testimony was understood and reported was not consistent with my understanding of what had happened.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga—Erindale, ON
What I'm trying to find out is that, really, at the time of our surprise, the first reaction from the government was we're standing behind Commissioner Zaccardelli 100%, and firmly. Yet officials, including yourselves, were surprised by the nature of the testimony. Certainly legitimate questions would have been raised in someone's head.
I want to know what was done by anybody--if anybody raised any flags, said anything, called for a meeting, asked for a clarification. I think these are important questions that Canadians are really interested in knowing the answers to.