Procedure and House Affairs committee  I report all registerable activities and conversations with designated public office holders in accordance with the act.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I'm not in the position to make decisions on hiring staff in our office.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It's “the client” I shared it with.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  No, I did not.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  No. Mr. Chair—

Procedure and House Affairs committee  No. I said my client was a not-for-profit. And the one client I shared the information capsule with was the University of Calgary. It was shared with one person there.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I did not contact Mrs. Block. I was aware that Russ had been terminated. So I again made the logical conclusion that all members of the committee had been disclosed the information. I wish to underscore that all copies—the electronic copy and the printed copy—of the document were destroyed the next day, that is, on Friday November 19, before we received instruction from the chair of the finance committee.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, I want to be very clear on this point. I have never received a confidential report of Parliament prior to this incident.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I consider Russell a friend, yes.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  That is correct.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  That's correct. This is a precedent.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  My response when I was received it was surprise. I had not asked at any point to receive this report. Upon receiving it, I did glance at it, but I spent no more than ten minutes with the document. I printed one copy. I was the only person who was ever in possession of that copy.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Actually, I have never received any confidential report of Parliament like this in my career.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  If I could correct, Mr. Chair, I did not forward the report in whole or in part. Moreover, I provided a summation of two points contained within the document, which I acknowledge is confidential, to one client.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Yes, I did, and I wish to apologize to all members of this committee, all members of the finance committee, and all parliamentarians for my lapse in judgment at a critical time.