Transport committee  No, but I've spoken on all kinds of panels, whether they're Canadian Chamber of Commerce panels, boards of trade panels, BCG panels....

Transport committee  I am sure you are aware and understand the nature of REM. It is a very important transit project in Montreal. To me, it's a good example of the level of investment needed to make transportation more fluid in our major cities. It's comparable—

Transport committee  I believe so, but I'll have to go back and check. That was many years ago, but I believe so.

Transport committee  I think it would be a normal course of activity, so that's why I say.... I don't vividly remember that, given the number of years that have passed, but it would make sense.

Transport committee  No, that's not correct. That's completely incorrect. That work at the council was in 2016. The bank hadn't even been created at that point. The bank was created subsequently in the years later by the Government of Canada. By then, the growth council had ceased its work and it was after that—after the creation of the bank, some years further down the road—when CDPQ developed the idea of the REM.

Transport committee  Yes. I think that's correct.

Transport committee  Essentially, McKinsey had done a lot of work around the world on infrastructure issues and how to increase levels of investment in infrastructure. Their experience was not limited to Canada; it was global. With access to that kind of deep expertise, it was a way for us to save a lot of time in finding ways to accelerate the bank's activities.

Transport committee  In my opinion, it was not a determining factor. McKinsey has a very competent infrastructure team.

Transport committee  I've worked with Dominic Barton over the years, both when he was at McKinsey and then when he was Canada's ambassador to China. It's someone I've known over the years.

Transport committee  I did, along with the other members, yes.

Transport committee  It was April 2020 to December 2020. That's correct.

Transport committee  I'm sorry, but I have no recollection of what you just said.

Transport committee  Let's stand back. The minister of finance at the time, Minister Morneau, asked me to take over the chair of the Infrastructure Bank because its first three years had been, I would say, quite slow. He asked whether in working with the management of the bank and outside advisers we could accelerate the activity of the bank and, what was called at the time, the growth plan for the bank.

Transport committee  That would have been quite informal conversations between me and Mr. Barton, just simply drawing on the work we had done on the growth council in the past.

Transport committee  Honestly, I can't answer your question directly. In my view, as a member of the Economic Growth Advisory Council, McKinsey acted on a volunteer basis. So I personally don't see a connection between its contribution to the council and its business activities. It's normal for a consulting firm to do business, whether it's McKinsey, the Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte or others...