Prime Minister Stephen Harper is dismissing accusations that his office's communications director, Dimitri Soudas, tried to influence the Port of Montreal's choice for a new chairman back in 2007.
Speaking in Rivière-du-Loup, Que. Wednesday, Harper said it was perfectly "normal" for his office to urge the Montreal Port Authority's board of directors to appoint their choice for president.
"As you know, the board of directors in this corporation and many corporations appoints its CEO, and it's not unusual for the government to express its preference. The government did," Harper told reporters.
"The board took another decision. We respect that decision and we work with the board and its president," he answered.
His comments follow reports that suggest Soudas tried to pressure members of the board into choosing the government's pick, Robert Abdallah, a former director-general at Montreal City Hall. The job eventually went instead to Patrice Pelletier.
Soudas has denied personally intervening in the selection process. He also testified before the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates back in 2008 that he never met with the three port board members who were tsked with choosing a successor to the outgoing Port president, to discuss the appointment.
But Radio-Canada and The Globe and Mail reported Tuesday that Soudas did meet with the three board members at an Italian restaurant in Old Montreal, in the spring of 2007. The reports say Soudas is the one who asked for the meeting.
One of those board members, Marc Bruneau, says it seemed to him that the reason for the meeting with Soudas was clear.
"There was certainly interference because he met us specifically on the nomination of the new president," Bruneau told Radio-Canada.
Soudas insisted Tuesday he did nothing wrong, and that the federal government merely indicated its preference for Mr. Abdallah.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says the reports appear to be the latest in a "whole history" of allegations plaguing Harper's inner circle. He said it also raises questions about Soudas' testimony before the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates back in 2008.
"I cannot comment in detail, but one of the questions is: was Mr. Soudas telling the truth in the House Committee?" Ignatieff said in French.
"There's a possibility that he lied under oath, and that's a big problem. A lack of respect towards institutions is something that happened more than once. So the voters will decide about this," he said.
