Public Accounts committee  If you mean an informal opinion from a lawyer, the answer is no.

Public Accounts committee  Indeed....

Public Accounts committee  No, what I said was that the receipt was issued in the name of a Canadian corporation. As I explained in my hypothetical example, if I give $100 to the Canadian Red Cross…

Public Accounts committee  No, I did not receive an opinion from the management or staff. However, I held discussions with at least one director, perhaps more, on the possibility that one of us might be in a conflict of interest position, or at least be perceived to be so.

Public Accounts committee  I don't see why that's inherently a conflict of interest.

Public Accounts committee  I seriously considered it, but disagreed with them. For 33 years, I was the secretary and legal counsel for a major Quebec-based Canadian public corporation. My view was that I was not in a conflict of interest position, and certainly not in a legal conflict. However, as I said in my opening address, it was nevertheless important for me not to be involved in an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the acceptance of these gifts, because I was on the legal side…

Public Accounts committee  I've looked at that—

Public Accounts committee  I've heard that. Again, the difference between a registered address and a business address with many corporations is quite different.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you. I have a couple of points to follow up on what Mr. Brock has laid out. Number one, the story that I did read, and that started the ball rolling on February 28, alleged that a consular official at the Chinese embassy had been in touch with Mr. Zhang in Canada and had instructed him to give a million dollars to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

Public Accounts committee  It's because the context has changed so much. The years 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 were all material times in connection with this donation. Canadian universities were falling all over themselves to develop relations with China and Canadian corporations, ditto. The Government of Canada, in 2014, I believe the prime minister of the day visited China, as did the president of France and the chancellor of Germany.

Public Accounts committee  It would be up to them, up to the CRA, if it wanted to do that, but if I could finish my thought—

Public Accounts committee  I'm sorry?

Public Accounts committee  Of course. If the CRA comes calling, any taxpayer pays attention.

Public Accounts committee  I will say, though, that we've endeavoured to be compliant in all respects of the Income Tax Act and our obligations to the CRA.

Public Accounts committee  That is my belief.