Government Operations committee  As I stated at the outset, for me, my extent of discussions with anyone in the current government would be simply to tell them what sort of work we were doing, and that's where it would stop. Most of my interactions with members would be, “How are things going? How is your family?

Government Operations committee  No, it's not, not if you're not looking for anything from government. If you're just telling them about your business and not looking for anything from government, there's no need to even have any expectations, and that's the way Mr. Glémaud and I operate our business. We don't look to government for anything for our work.

Government Operations committee  No. I don't perform lobbying activities, so I'm not registered.

Government Operations committee  I never even saw this e-mail that he may or may not have sent out.

Government Operations committee  He claims that I have never seen this e-mail. I would have been happy to clarify it, had it been the case. Anyone who knows how this place works knows that no one has access to the Prime Minister's Office, nor would I ever say such a thing, because it wouldn't be accurate and it wouldn't reflect the business we're involved in.

Government Operations committee  Absolutely. But I also have to say that during any business process—and I don't know whether you have the experience of building your own business—

Government Operations committee  So you know the process you have to go through to explore who you may want to work with, what sorts of relationships you're going to build, or what focus your business is going to have. Over the course of the last year, Mr. Glémaud and I have met different people and have taken the time to explore whether or not there are synergies with their companies.

Government Operations committee  Yes.

Government Operations committee  Our business, as I mentioned in my opening remarks.... The extent of our business is to advise people, from experience that both Mr. Glémaud and I have had with government. By no means do we ever try to secure public funding. We give the information that we gather to people we speak with, as to how they can go about doing that.

Government Operations committee  When I ran into Minister Prentice, I think he even mentioned that it was a very short conversation. We ran into each other, I believe, at a social event here on Parliament Hill. He just asked me what work I was doing, and I told him. We had never talked at all about the green fund, that I recall.

Government Operations committee  I would like to clarify, because it's—

Government Operations committee  You're suggesting that I may have discussed business with the particular members you identified in your question. As I mentioned in my statement, most of my interactions with any of my former colleagues have always been social. I've never discussed any business, never even asked them for anything, other than to give them an update on what I've been working on.

Government Operations committee  I hadn't submitted any proposals. I had asked him initially for some information—as I said, information-gathering about the green infrastructure fund when it was launched by the government in the former budget. He directed me to his assistant, who would provide that information, and she did.

Government Operations committee  No.

Government Operations committee  The last time I had any discussion with the Prime Minister was ten days after the 2008 election. The Prime Minister was kind enough to find out what my plans were in the near future. I hadn't made any decisions at that time. But I assured him at that time, because of my wife's involvement in the government, that I would never ever undertake any business that involved any sort of lobbying activity or that would put any unfair demands on the government to put them in any conflict of interest.