Foreign Minister picks new president for splintered rights agency

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Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon has named a political ally to head the troubled human-rights agency Rights and Democracy and given his full support to the board that clashed with the agency's late president.

Gérard Latulippe, Quebec lieutenant to Stockwell Day when he was the Canadian Alliance leader and a caucus mate of Mr. Cannon's as a Liberal MNA in the 1980s, is the Harper government's proposed new chief for the agency.

Mr. Latulippe is resident director of the National Democratic Institute in Haiti, a democracy-promotion agency. Previously, he worked for NDI in Morocco and has worked in Iraq, Georgia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mr. Latulippe declared his support for Quebec sovereignty in the 1990s, several years after he was forced to resign from Liberal premier Robert Bourassa's cabinet over conflict-of-interest allegations.

Rights and Democracy has been embroiled in a public clash between staff and members of its board of directors since the Jan. 7 death of president Rémy Beauregard. Critics have alleged that the Conservatives politicized the agency by appointing board members who imposed staunch pro-Israel views on its work.

The opposition parties immediately criticized yesterday's move.

"The place has been in chaos and now their solution is to appoint an ex-Alliance party candidate. You think that's going to solve the problem? I think it's going to make the problem worse," Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said.

NDP critic Paul Dewar said the government should have allowed the foreign affairs committee to conduct an inquiry into the controversy before proceeding with a nomination.

"It's entirely premature to be nominating presidents," Mr. Dewar said. "The problem is the board and the way in which this board has conducted its affairs."

The Foreign Affairs Minister rejected allegations of political meddling on Monday.

"I certainly don't share those views nor those opinions," Mr. Cannon said. "I'm looking forward to having the board of directors as well as Mr. Latulippe work in tandem step, in lockstep, to be able to promote Canadian values as we have been doing so for the last four or five years."

Mr. Cannon has asked opposition leaders to provide comments on Mr. Latulippe's appointment before March 1. Under the law, the government can appoint its candidate even if the opposition objects, but traditionally seeks consensus.

Rights and Democracy, a Montreal-based, arm's-length government agency that advocates for human rights and democratic development abroad, has been in disarray since Mr. Beauregard death. Staff members have been in revolt. Nearly all staff signed a letter expressing no confidence in the board. Three senior staff were suspended and the agency's interim president has brought in a private investigator.

A forensic auditor was hired last week to look over the agency's books for the past five years.

The union representing Rights and Democracy employees said decried the situation, saying much more than a new president is required.

"Our members have been subjected to religious profiling and intimidation. The workplace atmosphere is intolerable. The staff are enduring a witch hunt and are, quite frankly, outraged," said John Gordon, PSAC