Government Operations committee  I was an organizer. I did it to help the candidates. That's it. It wasn't to help people get contracts afterward.

Government Operations committee  I have met people, yes.

Government Operations committee  How many people were at the cocktail? Inside the restaurant, maybe 50.

Government Operations committee  For the Conservative Party?

Government Operations committee  I had one gathering at the other restaurant, the Piccola Italia, I think, with Mr. Blackburn. There were maybe around 10 people. At the Il Ritrovo restaurant, that was small—$20, maybe. There were less than 100 people the first time at the Notre-Dame-de-Pompei church during the e

Government Operations committee  Yes, but the objective was if could get around the $10,000 that was missing. So when Mr. Sauvé and Mr. Padulo told me that with them both....And I made a few calls and people were not able to come. They were not interested to be—

Government Operations committee  Yes.

Government Operations committee  I learned a few months later that his company was in difficulty. I'm not close to Mr. Sauvé, so I don't know what he's doing.

Government Operations committee  The cheques were made to the riding association and they were brought to the cocktail by the people who were attending the event. Some may have come after, like all events.

Government Operations committee  Some were given to me and some to the financial agent. He was there at the event and everything was made—

Government Operations committee  No, because if someone comes in and gives me a cheque, I don't necessarily know who it is. Afterward, we made sure that the people had given us personal cheques and that the addresses matched. That's it.

Government Operations committee  At the entrance, I didn't ask who had sold the tickets. A person arrived, gave me their cheque, hung up their coat in the cloakroom and met the people they wanted to meet. I didn't follow each person who entered.

Government Operations committee  I'm sorry I apologize for arriving late. It isn't out of a lack of respect for Parliament, as was suggested. People should not take advantage of parliamentary privilege to say just anything about anybody. Words don't die.

Government Operations committee  No, there was no promise. Nothing. I wasn't even aware of his case. I have no interest in that. It was not in return for anything or for a promise. It was a fundraising activity. He had offered to sell some tickets. He sold more. It is possible, in light of events, that we were

Government Operations committee  I don't know.