Public Safety Committee on June 17th, 2008

[Margaret Bloodworth]

I wouldn't necessarily come to those conclusions.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

You wouldn't know.

[Margaret Bloodworth]

I wouldn't necessarily come to those conclusions.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Thank you.

I find it interesting that an average person, hearing about the possibility that a minister was involved with someone who has clear ties or is alleged to have had clear ties and links with Mom Boucher.... I don't think there's a person in Quebec who doesn't know who Mom Boucher is. People have died because of Mom Boucher, including people who worked for the state, who worked for the Province of Quebec.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Your colleague is waiting for you.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

I find it interesting that they would think that was not worthy of somebody saying this needs to be checked out.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Order.

Mr. Dosanjh, you are the last person on my list, so I guess you're batting cleanup.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Thank you.

Ms. Marcoux, I want to take you back to the conversation you had with the RCMP. Can you, to the best of your memory, recite that conversation for the committee? We have some time. How did it start?

[Rennie Marcoux]

Well, it started with my advising Assistant Commissioner Souccar that we were planning on issuing the statement that we did issue.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Yes, and...?

[Rennie Marcoux]

And explaining the reasons why, because media speculation following his testimony suggested that we knew something or that they had advised us of something.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

And his response was that it was so soon after their statement to the committee?

[Rennie Marcoux]

I think so. I don't have a precise recollection of what he told me, but as I indicated earlier, that's what it was.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Then during that 10-minute conversation he indicated to you that, whatever the statement, it would not impair any investigation.

[Rennie Marcoux]

I believe I said he did not indicate that to me.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Was he silent on that issue with you?

[Rennie Marcoux]

I believe he was, but—

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

When you told him you were going to issue a statement—

[Rennie Marcoux]

The reason, sir, I think I can tell you this is that if he had said it would impair an investigation, I would have probably gone back to Mrs. Bloodworth and said it was probably not a good idea.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

So obviously he was silent on that particular point during the conversation. That's what I understand from what you just told me.

[Rennie Marcoux]

I think so, yes.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

If he was silent on that issue, did you ask him about his evidence before the committee and point out to him what he had said before the committee?

[Rennie Marcoux]

He said that Ms. Couillard was known to the RCMP. I believe he explained to me what “known” could mean in that sense.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Did he also indicate to you that he would not reveal to us whether or not the RCMP had contacted the PCO, for fear of possibly jeopardizing an investigation in the past or the future or the present?

[Rennie Marcoux]

I spoke to him after his testimony.