Evidence of meeting #134 for Public Safety and National Security in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was campaign.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
Give just a yes or no, Mr. Brown. Were you aware that any of them contacted her, asking her to withdraw from your campaign?
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
Then you are claiming the allegation made by these five individuals is false. That's a yes or no.
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
You're asking me to assume that those five people made that allegation. I'm not sure they did.
Liberal
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
The CBC says that they did.
My question is very direct. Five individuals came forward who were part of your campaign—in senior positions in your campaign—and said that Michelle Rempel Garner, who was one of your co-chairs, was asked by a foreign diplomat to withdraw her support from your campaign. You're saying that you're unaware of that.
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
No, I don't believe she was asked to withdraw her support. I think it was about the language I used.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
We have established by what you've said here today that MP Rempel Garner was in contact with a foreign consulate, the Indian consulate, and that she did relay that information to you. Do you believe personally—your own belief—that she was contacted by the consul and asked not to participate in your campaign?
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
I don't believe she was asked not to participate in my campaign. I think she was the recipient of an angry phone call over the language I was using.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
You don't believe what those five individuals in your campaign said.
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
Well, I think you would have to speak to those individuals yourself, because that's not something I have heard. I—
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
We've established that she was in contact with the consul general. You've already said that. You said that she even relayed information to you from them, yet we're to assume that it's unlikely she was also contacted and asked not to participate in your campaign, even to the extent that there was a conference call she participated in where she said the same thing. Is that correct?
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
Yes, it was never brought to my attention that she was asked to leave the campaign.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
What about your 2017 Ontario campaign? Why was Vikram Singh, in your opinion, disqualified?
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
He was a nomination contestant in Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas and was someone the Indian government obviously was not supportive of. He wasn't disqualified, though.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
In that nomination, I understand there was a settlement. You probably signed an NDA there as well. I would remind you that you're not subject to that NDA while here at committee and you are protected by privilege.
In your opinion, was there any reason to believe that Vikram Singh was disqualified based on a foreign diplomat or entity encouraging him to be disqualified?
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
I believe the Indian government is very vocal on candidates they believe are worthy of support and those who are not. Vikram Singh was not someone they supported.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
When you say “worthy of support”, do you believe they're worthy of support on Canadian soil?
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
Okay, and by your own admission, you already said that often these consuls general often act in an aggressive manner and they do not make you comfortable. I mean, if that's not foreign interference, then what is, Mr. Brown?
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
I'm not. I'm actually quoting exactly what you said. You said they did not make you feel “comfortable”. You referred to their engagement with you as “aggressive”.
How is that not foreign interference?
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
I think certainly some of their actions are in the grey.