Gagliano to undergo a grilling

ELIZABETH THOMPSON
Montreal Gazette Wednesday, February 20, 2002

Gagliano has kept silent since leaving cabinet.

Former public-works minister Alfonso Gagliano will have to appear before Parliament's foreign-affairs committee to defend his qualifications to become Canada's new ambassador to Denmark.

The committee voted unanimously yesterday to summon Gagliano to testify. While it did not set a date, Bloc Québécois MP Francine Lalonde suggested he appear March 19.

Lalonde, who tabled the motion to summon Gagliano, hopes his testimony will shed light on allegations of political interference in the affairs of a crown corporation under his control.

The committee has the power to examine a nominee's ability to do the job, and the candidate's moral integrity is deemed to be an important facet.

Liberals, however, say the committee will simply examine Gagliano's knowledge of the job. They say Gagliano's moral character is not in question.

Nor does moral character have anything to do with his ability to do the job, Liberals argue.

"The question of morality, I don't know where it comes from," said Marlene Jennings, MP for Notre Dame de Grâce-Lachine. "As far as I am concerned, Mr. Gagliano's reputation is not tainted. He is an honourable man and he did an honourable job for our country."

Denmark's ambassador to Canada said the Danish government will be watching the hearing with interest.

"Our job here is to keep ourselves well informed of what's happening in Canada," Svend Roed Nielsen said.

Gagliano has kept silent, refusing again yesterday to grant interviews.

Yesterday's decision by the committee is the latest bid by opposition MPs to look into charges that Gagliano used his position to funnel jobs and contracts to friends and supporters.

Last week, a letter written by Michel Couillard, former vice-president of Canada Lands Co., came to light, saying Gagliano put "intense pressure" on management of Canada Lands to hire or give contracts to friends of Gagliano or the federal Liberal Party.

The letter echoed allegations in January by former Canada Lands chairman Jon Grant that Gagliano urged Grant 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 later, Gagliano was dropped from the cabinet and named ambassador to Denmark.

Under a standing order of Parliament, committees have the power to examine ambassadors named by cabinet. Since 1997, committee members have proposed 11 times that an appointee be examined and in all cases the committee granted the request.

The committee cannot reject a candidate but can express an opinion as to whether he is qualified and competent to do the job.

Opposition MPs say that should include Gagliano's actions with Canada Lands because moral integrity is key to the ability to represent Canada.

Lalonde said the regulations allow the committee to examine his competence and capacities, and that "includes morality."

Lalonde suggested that the committee might also be able to call other witnesses to shed light on the allegations.

New Democrat MP Svend Robinson, a veteran of the foreign-affairs committee, said this is the first time that there has been such a "serious question mark" over an appointee's fitness to represent Canada.

"If the moral integrity of a candidate for ambassador who represents our country abroad is an issue, clearly that's absolutely relevant to the committee. It has to be on the table."

Deputy Prime Minister John Manley said it is perfectly normal for Gagliano to be called, but the questions have to be limited to his qualifications. "They can't ask questions about subjects that aren't linked to his proposed role."