Democratic Institutions  Speaker, the Prime Minister said, and I quote, “I made that decision 10 years ago to not engage with the [Trudeau] foundation and that is what we have all been consistent with.” It appears that the Prime Minister has once again misled the House. We know that his cabinet was in contact with the Trudeau Foundation in 2016.

Democratic Institutions  Why was the meeting held in the Prime Minister's building? Last but not least, who gave the Trudeau Foundation such unprecedented access to the Prime Minister's staff?

Ethics  Now we have learned that the Trudeau Foundation is holding meetings in his office. Did he not know about that either?

Democratic Institutions  Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate, but he has close ties to the Trudeau Foundation. The Trudeau Foundation is an incubator for Liberal circles, often unbeknownst to those who once supported it but now regret it, including some scholarship recipients. The government and the Prime Minister are tolerating interference in our institutions and the intimidation of some Canadian citizens of Chinese origin.

Ethics  Moving on, I have some big news: The Prime Minister has had no direct or indirect contact with the Trudeau Foundation for 10 years. Remind me not to go to his Christmas party, because I am guessing that it must be fairly tense. We now know that five deputy ministers were recruited to go to the Prime Minister's office to talk to the Trudeau Foundation.

Information & Ethics committee  Trudeau involved and that's what they got. They asked for it. The PRC asked for it, and the PRC got it. The Trudeau Foundation got the $140,000, and the individuals who were cut-outs acting on behalf of the dictatorship both got access directly to the Prime Minister within five months of this two-year process.

Information & Ethics committee  I know him much better, because he was a member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation board of directors when I was working there.

Information & Ethics committee  During my career in government, I always gave my opinions to the best of my knowledge and I always acted independently. That is the spirit in which I held my office at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

Information & Ethics committee  I have never acted in bad faith, and I have always acted in the best interests of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

Information & Ethics committee  The one I want to go back to is CSIS uncovering a Chinese plan to donate to the Trudeau Foundation. This appeared in the Globe on February 28 of this year. It was based on an anonymous source, apparently not based on a document. This is intelligence. Intelligence is different from evidence, and I'm going to tell you something some of you may have heard from David Morrison.

Information & Ethics committee  Zhang that Beijing would reimburse him for the entire amount of the donation to the Trudeau Foundation, according to the source. I am gobsmacked beyond belief to listen to you, in the role as president and CEO and a former deputy minister of foreign affairs, suggesting you knew nothing about CSIS intercepting a very important call.

Information & Ethics committee  Your evidence is, to the best of your recollection, without referring to any of the documentation you had before you, that Alexandre Trudeau was only instrumental in negotiating one contract for the Trudeau Foundation—yes or no?

Information & Ethics committee  Rightly or wrongly, your independence has been widely questioned. When someone has a direct connection with the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation and is retained to assess interference, but is not certain whether there was interference in the past, that seems to me to be everything but “independent”.

Information & Ethics committee  With all due respect, I think I did the job I was asked to do. Is having been the president of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation going to mean I am denied access to all sorts of positions? As I said, I didn't think that what happened in 2016 was connected with interference. I'm going to read the comments by Professor Wark that I read, again.

Information & Ethics committee  Good. Having worked at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation doesn't disqualify you. I am simply asking you for your interpretation of that. Do you think it is reasonable for people to doubt your independence?