Environment Minister Jim Prentice rises on a point of order after Question Period in the House of Commons on April 23, 2010.Pawel Dwulit/The Canadian Press
The Conservative government has revealed that Rahim Jaffer quietly approached a senior ministerial aide in Calgary a year ago to make "representations" on behalf of someone else's company.
Environment Minister Jim Prentice said Friday that he has referred all material related to the meeting between one of his aides and Mr. Jaffer to the Commissioner of Lobbying, which is already investigating allegations of unregistered lobbying involving Mr. Jaffer.
Mr. Prentice's move was the latest evidence in Ottawa that Mr. Jaffer's onetime friends - his "countless relationships" on Parliament Hill, as he boasted on his personal website - are turning against him.
The new revelation came just after Question Period, when Mr. Prentice stood in the House of Commons and disclosed that he was informed this week about the meeting between Mr. Jaffer and ministerial aide Scott Wenger. Mr. Prentice's office refused to name the firm Mr. Jaffer was promoting, but said it wasn't the former MP's company.
"Their discussion involved representations by Mr. Jaffer on behalf of a company," said Mr. Prentice, adding: "No contract was ever awarded to the company."
Mr. Jaffer spent a gruelling afternoon before a parliamentary committee this week insisting he didn't engage in lobbying after he returned to private life. His main argument is that he never earned a penny for that type of work, which is a crucial point. According to the Lobbyist Act, an individual is only considered to be lobbying if he or she is getting paid for the work.
But opposition MPs also pointed out at the committee hearing that the act prohibits contingency fees, which are paid if a lobbyist is successful in earning government business or funding for a client. The recurring question in Ottawa this week was that if Mr. Jaffer was not engaged in lobbying as part of his work for Green Power Generation, what was he doing?
"Ministers' offices should know the difference between right and wrong and an alarm should have gone off as soon as Rahim Jaffer came in seeking any kind of assistance on behalf of a company," NDP MP Pat Martin told reporters after Mr. Prentice's statement. "It's perfectly legitimate to go to your MP to ask them questions on how to access government programs, but you don't have to go to the [office of the]Minister of the Environment."
According to documents presented this week to the House committee on government operations, Green Power Generation submitted three projects last year to the government's Green Infrastructure Fund, seeking $135-million on behalf of other companies.
Many of the companies named in the project have distanced themselves in recent days from Mr. Jaffer and his business partner, Patrick Glémaud.
"We have not authorized either of these gentlemen to act on our behalf or to represent us either in a capacity as lobbyists or in any other matter. We have no service agreement with them. Nor have we signed a purchase and sale agreement to supply solar panels or services to them," said Alex Taylor of Canadian Solar Inc.
Asked Friday for a response to Mr. Prentice's statement, Mr. Jaffer said he will not comment on precise allegations while Lobbying Commissioner Karen Shepherd is looking into the matter.
"We maintain that GPG and its directors have not received any money from any grant, contribution, or other financial benefit, by, or on behalf of, the Government of Canada and that we have not received any compensation or payments, on behalf of any person, or organization, to undertake lobbying activities," Mr. Jaffer said in an e-mail.