Gagliano could be grilled

Bloc MP Lalonde asks for review of appointment to Denmark

ELIZABETH THOMPSON
Montreal Gazette Saturday, February 16, 2002

Public Works minister turned ambassador Alfonso Gagliano could soon be forced to testify about allegations of political interference in a crown corporation under his control.

Bloc Qu?b?cois MP Francine Lalonde has filed a motion with parliament's Foreign Affairs and International Trade committee, calling for it to examine Gagliano's appointment as ambassador to Denmark.

Under a standing order of parliament, committees have the power to examine ambassadors named by order in council. In the case of the foreign-affairs committee, members have proposed 11 times since 1997 that a diplomatic appointee be examined, particularly in cases where the nominee was not a career diplomat, Lalonde said.

All 11 requests were granted.

Among the appointees who have appeared before the committee are former Liberal MPs Sergio Marchi, named Canada's ambassador to the World Trade Organization, and Mary Clancy, appointed consul-general in Boston.

While the committee does not have the power to reject a candidate, it is free to give its judgment as to whether the nominee has the qualifications and competence to do the job.

In an interview yesterday, Lalonde said an ambassador's reputation and his past actions have a direct bearing on his credibility and his ability to adequately represent Canada.

"An ambassador represents the country. They must be able to do it appropriately or the country accepts that its representation be tainted. "

Lalonde's motion comes only three days after an explosive letter was introduced as evidence in a court case in Montreal, recounting in detail how Gagliano and his chief of staff put "intense pressure" on management of the Canada Lands Co. to hire or give contracts to people who were friends of Gagliano or the federal Liberal party.

The letter, written by former Canada Lands vice-president Michel Couillard, echoed allegations made by former Canada Lands Co. chairman Jon Grant, who told reporters in January that Gagliano had pressured him to hire one of the minister's friends and that Gagliano's chief of staff, Jean-Marc Bard, had asked to be consulted on all contracts handed out in Quebec.

A week after Grant went public, Gagliano was dropped from cabinet in a massive cabinet shuffle and appointed ambassador to Denmark. He is currently studying for his new job while Canada waits for the Danish government to accept his appointment.

Lalonde said Gagliano's appointment was a thinly disguised attempt to put a lid on an embarrassing scandal.

"Mr. Gagliano's nomination appears to us to have been made to put an end to a situation that was proving to be disastrous for the government and his nomination was made to (shut the door on) an investigation."

Lalonde said the committee should decide when it meets Tuesday whether to summon Gagliano to testify.

And Ghislain Lebel, Bloc MP for Chambly, has sent a motion to the Transport and Government Operations Committee, calling on it to hear testimony from Couillard, Gagliano and Deputy Prime Minister John Manley, now responsible for crown corporations.