Charest denies trying to arrange meeting between TransCanada and PMO
Former Quebec premier contradicts PMO, denies he lobbied for Energy East pipeline
Former Quebec premier Jean Charest is denying he sought to arrange a meeting between the Prime Minister's Office and representatives of oil giant TransCanada.
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During a brief exchange with journalists in Quebec City, Charest acknowledged that he did call the PMO recently and that he did discuss issues related to TransCanada.
But he said he did not seek to organize a meeting between the two.
This, however, contradicts a version of events that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's principal secretary, Gerald Butts, gave to The Globe and Mail earlier this month.
Butts told the newspaper that during a conversation with Charest, the former premier raised the possibility of arranging a meeting with TransCanada executives. Butts said he turned down the offer.
Charest is not registered as a lobbyist for TransCanada, but he rejected suggestion he violated federal lobbying rules.
"There was no lobbying," said Charest. "I don't work for TransCanada. End of story."
Charest added that while he has worked as a "strategic consultant" for TransCanada in the past, that contract was over when he placed the call to Butts.
The oil company is seeking federal approval for a cross-country pipeline that would carry oil from Alberta, through Quebec, to New Brunswick.
The $15.7-billion project faces significant opposition in Quebec, where the provincial government recently filed an injunction to force the company to submit an environmental impact study.
This is not the first time the Liberals have sought to distance themselves from being associated too closely with TransCanada.
During the election campaign, the Liberal co-chair, Dan Gagnier, was forced to resign after it was revealed he sent a letter to the company advising them how to lobby a future Liberal government.
Gagnier served as Charest's chief of staff while he was premier of Quebec.