House of Commons Hansard #416 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was chair.
NDP
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Chair, does the minister think that he was appointed as the new Minister of Justice and Attorney General because he is a Quebec MP and, arguably, more receptive to a DPA with SNC-Lavalin?
Liberal
David Lametti Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Mr. Chair, I have to admit that I resent that question. I believe that my record in this House and my record as a legal academic over many years would put me in a position to understand, apply and interpret laws in service to the Canadian public.
NDP
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Chair, how many times has the minister met with SNC-Lavalin since becoming the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada?
Liberal
David Lametti Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Mr. Chair, since becoming Minister of Justice, never.
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Chair, how many times did the minister meet with SNC-Lavalin before becoming the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada?
Liberal
David Lametti Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Mr. Chair, as I stated before the justice committee, the lobbying record shows that I met once with SNC-Lavalin in 2017. That year, I was the most lobbied member of Parliament, according to The Hill Times.
NDP
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Chair, how many times has the minister spoken to people outside of the justice department about a DPA for SNC-Lavalin?
Liberal
David Lametti Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Mr. Chair, as I am a member of Parliament and the Minister of Justice, I have conversations with people all the time. People tend to give me their opinion, whether I ask for it or not.
NDP
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Chair, has the minister spoken to anyone in the Prime Minister's Office or the Privy Council Office about a DPA with SNC-Lavalin since he became Minister of Justice and Attorney General?
Liberal
David Lametti Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Mr. Chair, as I said in front of the justice committee, I had one informal breakfast meeting, where it was one subject among many. It was at the very first cabinet retreat, with two members of the PMO. I also had a usual briefing, in the normal course of events, with Department of Justice staff, where, again, it was one subject among many.
NDP
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Chair, could the minister tell us which members of the PMO he met with?
Liberal
David Lametti Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Mr. Chair, I believe I am on the record on this. If not, I met with Elder Marques and Mathieu Bouchard.
NDP
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Chair, will the Liberal government call for an independent public inquiry into the SNC-Lavalin allegations that the PMO interfered politically in the case, yes or no?
Liberal
David Lametti Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Mr. Chair, I will reiterate what the director of public prosecutions has said. She felt no interference from any members of the government or political parties in the course of this affair. I point to the testimony provided by my predecessor to the committee. She said that she felt nobody broke the law.
NDP
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Chair, that did not answer my question.
Will the Liberal government call for an independent public inquiry into the SNC-Lavalin allegations that the PMO politically interfered, yes or no?
Liberal
David Lametti Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Mr. Chair, I will repeat what I said before. My predecessor said, in front of the committee, that she felt nobody broke the law. The director of public prosecutions is on the record as saying that she did not feel any political interference or pressure.
NDP
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Chair, that still does not answer my question. I will try once more.
Will the Liberal government, now, call for an independent public inquiry into the SNC-Lavalin allegations, yes or no?
Liberal
David Lametti Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Mr. Chair, I will remind the member that an independent officer of Parliament, the Ethics Commissioner, is undertaking an independent inquiry into the matter.
NDP
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Chair, it must be a no, but why will the Liberals not launch a public investigation into the SNC-Lavalin affair?
Liberal
David Lametti Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Mr. Chair, as I have stated a number of times in the House, and as others in the government have stated, we respect the institutions of Parliament and parliamentary officers, including the Ethics Commissioner, who is undertaking an inquiry into this particular matter.
NDP
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Chair, does the minister think Canadians deserve a public inquiry, yes or no?
Liberal
David Lametti Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Mr. Chair, as I have said, the Ethics Commissioner, who is an independent officer of Parliament, is undertaking to produce a public report.
NDP
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Chair, Canadians deserve an answer. Does the minister think Canadians deserve the truth and deserve an independent public inquiry, yes or no?
Liberal
David Lametti Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Mr. Chair, all members on all sides of the House want Canadians to have the truth, and all members on all sides of the House are endeavouring to ensure Canadians have the truth. The Ethics Commissioner will play a role in this matter. The justice committee has played a role in this matter, and other participants have made statements in this matter.