Tories face accusations of patronage involving ex-premier’s niece

DIEPPE, N.B.—The Harper government is set to appoint the niece of a former Conservative premier to the board of Rights and Democracy — an arms-length agency struggling to restore an image battered by accusations of patronage and partisanship.

The revelation that Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon has selected lawyer Katrine Giroux for the job follows a series of accusations over Conservative patronage appointments.

Ex-New Brunswick premier Bernard Lord, who was attending a campaign event with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday, acknowledged to The Canadian Press that he recommended Giroux, his niece through marriage.

Lord said someone at Rights and Democracy in Montreal — whose name he couldn’t recall — asked him last year if he knew anyone competent, and he suggested Giroux. That was followed-up with an email soon afterward, and Lord repeated his recommendation.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/967710--tories-face-accusations-of-patronage-involving-ex-premier-s-niece?bn=1