OTTAWA — A Federal Court judge has reinstated Jean Pelletier as chairman of Via Rail, saying the government was unfair in the way it fired him in March 2004.
Justice Simon Noel said Mr. Pelletier — a Jean Chretien loyalist who was fired in connection with the sponsorship scandal — deserved to know why has was dismissed and should have been given a chance to respond.
The judge set aside the firing order and referred the whole matter back to the federal cabinet.
Mr. Pelletier was chief of staff to Mr. Chretien for 1993 to 2001 and was appointed to a five-year term as chairman of Via in 2001.
He was fired after Olympic medalist Myriam Bedard wrote to Prime Minister Paul Martin in February 2004 complaining she had been forced to resign from a Via job.
An arbitrator's report later found Ms. Bedard quit voluntarily, but Mr. Pelletier had already been fired.
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