MONTREAL—An apparent case of political interference is once again rearing its head in Montreal, but this time it involves the Prime Minister’s Office.
An investigation by Radio-Canada suggests that Dimitri Soudas, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s spokesman, tried to pressure board members of the Montreal Port Authority to name Robert Abdallah, a former director general at Montreal city hall, as its new president.
In a 2007 meeting at Le Muscadin, an Italian restaurant in Old Montreal, Soudas made it clear the federal government favoured Abdallah for the position, according to board member Marc Bruneau.
“There was certainly interference, because we specifically met on the nomination of the new president,” Bruneau told the broadcaster.
The board, however, had other candidates in mind.
Former Tory cabinet minister Michael Fortier also confirmed to Radio-Canada that board members were approached by those claiming “Harper preferred Mr. Abdallah.”
Soudas told the Star Tuesday evening he did nothing wrong and insisted he was simply communicating to the port authority the government’s choice for an appointee.
Radio-Canada reports that Abdallah was also favoured by powerful figures at Montreal city hall. Frank Zampino, at the time the right-hand man of Mayor Gérald Tremblay, wanted Abdallah named and pressured board member Diane Provost to vote for him, according to Claude Dauphin, mayor of the Montreal borough of Lachine.
Abdallah told Radio-Canada the fact he wasn’t named head of the port is proof there wasn’t undue influence.
