Meilleur didn’t speak of post with advisers: Joly

Meetings with Butts, Telford under scrutiny

The government’s choice for official languages commissioner never spoke about the post with two of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s closest advisers, Heritage Minister Melanie Joly said Wednesday.

That comment in the House of Commons generated a fierce reaction from the Opposition, as the Conservatives noted that Madeleine Meilleur herself had told the official languages committee she’d had contact with both Gerald Butts and Katie Telford.

The Liberals have been criticized for putting Meilleur up as the candidate for the job, with the Conservatives and NDP trying to block an appointment they view as partisan.

Joly spent much of question period answering questions about Meilleur, as has been the case since her selection was made public.

“What I can confirm is that Mrs. Meilleur had no discussion regarding the official languages commissioner position with Gerry Butts and Katie Telford,” Joly told reporters later, adding she hadn’t spoken to Meilleur.

She didn’t specify the source of her comments, but

THESE ... WERE INFORMAL MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS OF THE PRIME MINISTER’S TEAM.

they appeared to run contrary to what Meilleur told the official languages committee in mid-May.

The Prime Minister’s Office insisted in an email Wednesday that the position of official languages commissioner was never discussed during those meetings, which took place well before the selection process was launched.

“These meetings were informal meetings with members of the Prime Minister’s team whom Ms. Meilleur knew from her time as minister,” said spokesman Olivier Duchesneau. “Another meeting took place at the request of our office, but only for the purpose of discussing a very specific file — the issue of Ottawa as a bilingual city.”

The Liberals insist that Meilleur’s selection was based on merit, experience and a track record of defending francophone rights.

Meilleur, a former Ontario Liberal cabinet minister, surprised many by saying she’d approached Butts and Telford, Trudeau’s principal secretary and chief of staff.

When asked by NDP Leader Tom Mulcair during the hearing who she’d spoken to about becoming a senator or commissioner, Meilleur replied she’d spoken to Butts, whom she knew from former premier Dalton McGuinty’s office.