Evidence of meeting #30 for Canada-China Relations in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was aiib.
A video is available from Parliament.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
Yes, other employees, but who just haven't spoken up about it.
4:15 p.m.
As an Individual
Yes. I do know that. I get emails [Inaudible—Editor] from the AIIB employee alumni group. I've been blackballed from joining that.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
I have another quick question.
About nine months before you joined, one of the senior people at the AIIB left the door open to lending money to Myanmar's military junta.
Did any communications like that take place while you were at the bank?
4:15 p.m.
As an Individual
I don't recall anything dealing with Myanmar. I was asked to meetings to discuss Russian procurement.
There was a debate internally about whether or not there should be a meeting with Russian companies to discuss giving them opportunities to bid on AIIB contracts. I was asked, in no uncertain terms, to keep that hush-hush and to ensure that a word of it never got known externally.
That would be the closest such issue.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken Hardie
Thank you, Mr. Pickard.
We'll now go to Mr. Oliphant for five minutes or less.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Thank you very much.
I want to begin by saying that I'm sorry for the journey that you have been through. It sounds like it has obviously been a trying time for you. I wanted to express that to you.
I want to back up a little bit to your accepting the job. I know there are times when the government is asked to promote people's employment in multilateral agencies and banks.
Was this a government appointment or did you apply for a job and get it?
4:15 p.m.
As an Individual
I applied for the job and I got the job.
I applied online, which was the first job I've applied online for in forever.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Sort of congratulations. I'm not sure you want to hear that.
What did you know about the bank when you were joining it?
4:15 p.m.
As an Individual
I knew that it was designed to be a rival to the World Bank, or so I thought.
The legacy financial institutions, whatever their storied accomplishments are, did not take into account the rising economic heft of China. That, from a Chinese point of view, meant they should go and create their own vehicle for multilateralism and show the world that they could convene a multilateral institution that could meet the same requirements of multilateral finance as the western-based MDBs, but to do so in an Asia-based way consistent with China's geopolitical interests.
4:15 p.m.
As an Individual
Yes. I worked here in Ottawa. During the Mulroney government, I worked in the Global Affairs minister's office. I used to work in this building in 1982 for that person.
I worked in six different countries—Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, New York City—so I felt qualified for the job.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Jumping ahead to your leaving the bank, you said just a few minutes ago that you left under your own steam, I think were your words—or your own reasons, rather.
Can you explain your leaving? What was the decision-making process and all of that?
4:20 p.m.
As an Individual
After the president's office became aware of my concerns of CCP influence in the bank, everything from that office towards me changed.
The ombudsman of the bank, who was himself a party member, I believe, was undertaking an investigation of my department based on complaints from three members of my department who did not subscribe to my leadership. I was trying to modernize the department by bringing it into the modern age, but I had three people who opposed me because they wanted to keep doing things the way they had been done—
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
4:20 p.m.
As an Individual
I don't think so, but they knew the power structure to go for.
The president went from saying “don't resign” and talking me out of resigning to causing, through his office, uncertainty in league with some of these people who were engaging in what I can only describe as harassment and divide and conquer tactics.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
That makes sense to me.
You've said that the day after you left, the government halted all government activity with the bank. There was an internal review in the bank and now an internal review at finance here, which has taken your information.
I understand that you don't have documentation for them, but you did an interview with them, so there's a verbal statement.
Now, after several months, Canada is expanding that review to bring partners and conversations with Australia, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom into a further thing while we continue to halt our activity.
Does this make sense to you as an appropriate response for your allegations?
4:20 p.m.
As an Individual
The Department of Finance officials already informed me in July that they were in consultation with G7 allies concerning the matter. That was already known to me.
I believe, based on my close reading of what the government has announced, that the current review is not about my allegations per se, but a broad range of concerns.
Members may not have noticed this kind of detail at the time, but when I left the bank in June, somebody representing the Government of Canada spoke to Bloomberg and made it clear for the reporting that came out that the government, prior to my resignation, had certain concerns, including, I believe, the over-concentration of power in the president's office.
I believe that the government, in broadening what it's looking at now, is not just examining what I said, but is looking at a whole range of issues that are relevant to whether or not we should remain a member of this.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
That's very helpful. I think you have a different partisan background, but it sounds like you feel the government is taking the steps it needs to take and we're getting somewhere.
I don't want to put words in your mouth, but you seem to be suggesting that.
4:20 p.m.
As an Individual
I think we're heading in the right direction on AIIB. I hope the government pursues it to its logical conclusion.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken Hardie
Thank you very much, Mr. Oliphant.
We'll now go to Mr. Bergeron for two and a half minutes.