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O'Connor faces prolonged battle to counter lobbyist past Mike Blanchfield - CanWest News Service; Ottawa Citizen VIA StopLying.ca July 01, 2006 OTTAWA - As Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor tours the country this week doling out $15 billion in new military spending, something else is trailing him that is threatening to spoil the party: his past career as a defence industry lobbyist. The Conservatives are fond of touting O'Connor's 30-plus years in the Canadian Forces before retiring at the rank of brigadier-general, but it is the 7 1/2 years he spent after that, as a registered lobbyist for the Ottawa firm Hill and Knowlton Canada in which he built up a stable of 28 clients, that continues to dog the rookie defence minister, and sparks incessant calls for his resignation. Now, some of those companies will soon be the recipients of the Conservative government's largesse - whether it is the $2-billion joint supply ship project announced Monday, or the $1.1-billion armoured trucks purchase that comes today in Quebec City. The leading contender for the truck contract is Stewart & Stevenson Services Inc. of Houston, Texas, an O'Connor client from Aug. 29, 2003, to Feb. 23, 2004. The Forces have already purchased a fleet of Stewart & Stevenson trucks for the JTF2 top-secret commando unit. On Monday in Halifax, the first question O'Connor faced was whether he had ever received any money from any of the companies that would be vying for the ship contract he had just announced. O'Connor said he didn't know who the contenders would be, but when a reporter listed them, he replied: "In the past, in General Dynamics, I think I helped them. In fact, we didn't succeed to try to get an artillery project in the army - that's years ago." General Dynamics Canada is expected to be the contractor for weapons and sensor systems for the bid to be led by Irving Shipbuilding of Saint John, N.B. O'Connor spent five years, from Oct. 8, 1996, to Nov. 28, 2001, as the General Dynamics registered lobbyist. What O'Connor did not mention Monday was that he represented companies that are now part of two of the other three consortiums that will bid on the ship contract. Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com O'Connor represented BAE Systems, which will lead another bid, from Oct. 8, 1996 to Feb. 23, 2004, an association that spanned his entire lobbying career, which ended four months and five days before he was first elected to the House of Commons in June 28, 2004, federal election. Raytheon Canada Ltd. was on O'Connor's client list from May 23, 1997, to Aug. 18, 1998. Raytheon is expected to provide the sensors and weapons for a bid to be led by Montreal's SNC-Lavalin Pro Fac Inc. Liberal defence critic Ujjal Dosanjh said it is disingenuous for O'Connor to attempt to play down his past career, as he did on Monday, and has repeatedly done in the Commons. "The lobbyist registry is there for all to see," said Dosanjh. "One could actually legitimately say that this week is going to be Gordon O'Connor's summer conflict-of-interest tour." Dosanjh repeated his calls Monday for O'Connor to recuse himself from the tendering process saying that $8 billion of the $15 billion in contracts the Conservatives are planning to announce this week are "tainted by his past work as a lobbyist." No one, not even his critics, suggest that O'Connor is anything but an honourable man, but they say that the web of connections represents, at the very least, a perceived conflict of interest, while some question whether it was fair or wise for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to have given him the defence portfolio. "If he doesn't recuse himself, the prime minister must force him to recuse himself or the prime minister must remove him from being defence minister," said Dosanjh. When O'Connor is asked about his lobbying past, it visibly angers him. "I have disclosed everything ... you want to keep chasing this," he told a reporter Monday. "I have disclosed everything. I own no shares in any company. I get no remuneration from any company. I have no connections with any company. I have been through the ethics counselor. I have no recusals. There is nothing there at all. "I know the opposition continues to try to chase this, but there's nothing there. No, I'm not involved. I haven't been involved in these projects in the past." O'Connor also tried to minimize his role in the selection of winning bids, saying they will be assessed by a team from the Defence Department, Industry Canada and the Public Works Department, who will then recommend a winner. "The only choice ministers have ultimately at the top is yes or no." About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Weekly Features Archive
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O'Connor faces prolonged battle to counter lobbyist past

Mike Blanchfield - CanWest News Service; Ottawa Citizen VIA StopLying.ca
July 01, 2006

Canada OTTAWA - As Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor tours the country this week doling out $15 billion in new military spending, something else is trailing him that is threatening to spoil the party: his past career as a defence industry lobbyist.

The Conservatives are fond of touting O'Connor's 30-plus years in the Canadian Forces before retiring at the rank of brigadier-general, but it is the 7 1/2 years he spent after that, as a registered lobbyist for the Ottawa firm Hill and Knowlton Canada in which he built up a stable of 28 clients, that continues to dog the rookie defence minister, and sparks incessant calls for his resignation.

Now, some of those companies will soon be the recipients of the Conservative government's largesse - whether it is the $2-billion joint supply ship project announced Monday, or the $1.1-billion armoured trucks purchase that comes today in Quebec City.

The leading contender for the truck contract is Stewart & Stevenson Services Inc. of Houston, Texas, an O'Connor client from Aug. 29, 2003, to Feb. 23, 2004.

The Forces have already purchased a fleet of Stewart & Stevenson trucks for the JTF2 top-secret commando unit.

On Monday in Halifax, the first question O'Connor faced was whether he had ever received any money from any of the companies that would be vying for the ship contract he had just announced.

O'Connor said he didn't know who the contenders would be, but when a reporter listed them, he replied:

"In the past, in General Dynamics, I think I helped them. In fact, we didn't succeed to try to get an artillery project in the army - that's years ago."

General Dynamics Canada is expected to be the contractor for weapons and sensor systems for the bid to be led by Irving Shipbuilding of Saint John, N.B.

O'Connor spent five years, from Oct. 8, 1996, to Nov. 28, 2001, as the General Dynamics registered lobbyist.

What O'Connor did not mention Monday was that he represented companies that are now part of two of the other three consortiums that will bid on the ship contract.

Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com

O'Connor represented BAE Systems, which will lead another bid, from Oct. 8, 1996 to Feb. 23, 2004, an association that spanned his entire lobbying career, which ended four months and five days before he was first elected to the House of Commons in June 28, 2004, federal election.

Raytheon Canada Ltd. was on O'Connor's client list from May 23, 1997, to Aug. 18, 1998. Raytheon is expected to provide the sensors and weapons for a bid to be led by Montreal's SNC-Lavalin Pro Fac Inc.

Liberal defence critic Ujjal Dosanjh said it is disingenuous for O'Connor to attempt to play down his past career, as he did on Monday, and has repeatedly done in the Commons.

"The lobbyist registry is there for all to see," said Dosanjh. "One could actually legitimately say that this week is going to be Gordon O'Connor's summer conflict-of-interest tour."

Dosanjh repeated his calls Monday for O'Connor to recuse himself from the tendering process saying that $8 billion of the $15 billion in contracts the Conservatives are planning to announce this week are "tainted by his past work as a lobbyist."

No one, not even his critics, suggest that O'Connor is anything but an honourable man, but they say that the web of connections represents, at the very least, a perceived conflict of interest, while some question whether it was fair or wise for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to have given him the defence portfolio.

"If he doesn't recuse himself, the prime minister must force him to recuse himself or the prime minister must remove him from being defence minister," said Dosanjh.

When O'Connor is asked about his lobbying past, it visibly angers him.

"I have disclosed everything ... you want to keep chasing this," he told a reporter Monday. "I have disclosed everything. I own no shares in any company. I get no remuneration from any company. I have no connections with any company. I have been through the ethics counselor. I have no recusals. There is nothing there at all.

"I know the opposition continues to try to chase this, but there's nothing there. No, I'm not involved. I haven't been involved in these projects in the past."

O'Connor also tried to minimize his role in the selection of winning bids, saying they will be assessed by a team from the Defence Department, Industry Canada and the Public Works Department, who will then recommend a winner.

"The only choice ministers have ultimately at the top is yes or no."