Government Operations committee  When you say "involved", do you mean "involved as minister"?

Government Operations committee  Of course, I was briefed by the Real Property Branch on our public buildings portfolio and our lease portfolio. At the time, half of our employees were in locations that we leased. So there were regular meetings on the portfolio of leases that linked us to private businesses across the country so that we could house our employees.

Government Operations committee  No, I don't believe so.

Government Operations committee  Mr. Côté left in the wake of revelations of his relationship with Ms. Couillard. Mr. Côté knows very well that I would have liked him to tell me that since it was important at the time for that to be known to the minister.

Government Operations committee  Not at all.

Government Operations committee  Mr. Chair, thank you. I actually don't have an opening statement. You've asked me to come here to answer questions, so I will be happy to answer questions.

Government Operations committee  Yes.

Government Operations committee  It concerned the scope of the work. There were a lot of works to coordinate and execute, as you know. It focused more on the macroproject of what there was to do: how members and senators were going to leave the precincts, move out and come back at some point.

Government Operations committee  He was one of my advisors.

Government Operations committee  Mr. Côté was settled in Montreal and mainly handled Montreal files. That was my political responsibility as regional minister responsible for Montreal; so that was his main occupation.

Government Operations committee  No. That wasn't in fact the instruction. However, as you know, there are grey areas. Some people want to meet the minister responsible for the Montreal region because they have projects, and those may involve the machinery of government.

Government Operations committee  I know now because I read it in the newspapers, but I had no knowledge of that at the time.

Government Operations committee  I don't know.

Government Operations committee  Look, that was a few years ago. I don't want to avoid the question, but if he met him, that didn't get back to me because that wasn't a file he considered important to submit to my attention.

Government Operations committee  To tell you the truth, I went to some, but not a lot.