Government Operations committee  The damage is already done to me, and I don't think it will make any difference. But in the end what we're trying to get to is how fast and furious people play here with people's reputations when there is no evidence to the contrary that we've done anything wrong. And that's one of the reasons we're here in front of you today.

Government Operations committee  Absolutely not. And I can't control--

Government Operations committee  Again, you're pulling these things out from a great source--your source--The Toronto Star.

Government Operations committee  I can tell you, sir, that none of these things--

Government Operations committee  I don't even understand what good that would provide. It would--

Government Operations committee  As I said, I'll go back to my opening statement, because I think it's clear that--

Government Operations committee  Right. To my knowledge, when we created the website I know that one of the things we tried to ensure was that we wanted to maintain that we had experience, obviously, from our backgrounds, dealing with government. But by no means do we want to confuse anyone that we could have any undue influence, because that is not the direction of our business.

Government Operations committee  I don't even recall that that was what it said, and—

Government Operations committee  —we would have never put that in there because that's not the nature of our business. So I would even say that those particular reports are inaccurate.

Government Operations committee  No. Ha, ha! As I was saying, when you start up a new business, you have to take the time to decide whom you want to work with and explore strategies for working together. Over the course of the last year, we have focused on that a great deal. If you are a businessman who is smart, you don't jump into bed with anyone immediately.

Government Operations committee  Not for me because, as I already stated, I never asked politicians for anything. I do want to stay in contact with my former colleagues, because I consider many of these people to be my friends. However, my business is completely separate.

Government Operations committee  I'll make it quick, because I think my partner would like to respond as well. Our focus over the course of the last year, as we've been establishing this business, has been twofold. One is to source out potential environmental technologies, using the expertise of my partner, to see what stage they're in in their development, and to look at ways to help them commercialize, namely in new markets like China and India.

Government Operations committee  No, never.

Government Operations committee  No, not at all. All we do is provide advice to people we have contacts with, if they want to get in touch with the government and know how to go about doing that. But we have never had any meetings or engaged in facilitation--

Government Operations committee  No. It's true that I had relations with the current members of government, but to protect my wife and to protect the friendships I had, I made it clear before I started this business that I did not feel comfortable ever approaching them for anything, especially anything related to my business, and that I never wanted my wife in any conflict situation, so I refused to do that sort of work.