QUEBEC – A promiment Liberal MNA says he was just doing his job representing his riding when he suggested to Marc Bellemare that the son of a prominent Liberal organizer would make a good judge.
Norman MacMillan, the MNA for the Outaouais riding of Papineau and junior minister of transport, said he did nothing wrong in mentioning that Marc Bisson, son of his campaign organizer Guy Bisson, had applied for a judge’s job to Bellemare in 2003.
Bisson had a good reputation as a lawyer in his region and he had known the Bisson family for many years.
“It means I did my job as an MNA,” MacMillan told the Bastarache commission Tuesday when asked if he think it was thanks to his help that Marc Bisson was named judge in Longueuil Nov. 26, 2006.
“These are (nomination) contests. If I can recommend them why wouldn’t I? It’s my role.”
MacMillan confirmed that Guy Bisson did mention to him that his son was after a judge’s job. On Nov. 6, 2003, he had lunch with Marc Bisson Nov. 6 at the Parlemantaire restaurant at the National Assembly.
It was after that lunch that he ran into Bellemare by coincidence in the hall and mentioned Bisson had applied for a judge’s job.
A few weeks later, it happened.
He said over the 20 years he has been in politics he received calls from other lawyers in his region who wanted to be named judge but in reality only intervened in the case of Marc Bisson.
He said he would do the same for anyone else from his riding but he added, “I need to know the person.”
“Guy Bisson was very proud of his son Marc,” MacMilland said. “He mentioned that he had filed his name in a judge nomination process.
“Anyone in my riding who asks for help on any number of files … if I can help them, I do.
“I am known for this in my riding. So in that sense Mr. Bisson did not need to tell me what to do. He just mentioned that his son had passed an interview to become a judge.”
MacMillan said although he knows who Liberal fundraisers Franco Fava and Charles Rondeau from Liberal functions they did not put any pressure on him.
Tuesday afternoon, the commission is to hear from former Labour Minister Michel Despres and Liberal fundraiser Charles Rondeau who is at the heart of Bellemare’s allegations of influence peddling.
Details to follow.
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