A federal agency plans to review lobbying by Brian Mulroney on behalf of a Quebec company that could benefit from Ottawa's decision to open up the wireless industry to more competition, CBC News reported last night.
The former prime minister is not registered as a lobbyist.
CBC says the review will be conducted by the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists to determine if an investigation should take place. The report said Mr. Mulroney played an active role in bringing together former industry minister Maxime Bernier and Pierre Karl Peladeau, CEO of Quebecor Media. Mr. Mulroney is on Quebecor's board.
CBC said that during their conversations, Mr. Mulroney reminded Mr. Bernier of Quebecor's strong belief that the government should allow new players into the telecom sector, something CBC says Mr. Bernier opposed.
Mr. Bernier later met Mr. Peladeau as well as representatives of other telecom companies.
CBC said that under the Lobbyists Registration Act, Mr. Mulroney would be entitled to lobby elected officials in his role as a Quebecor board member, provided that he register as required.
But in the opinion of the registrar, the report said, he would be required to register for simply arranging a meeting between a minister and a CEO.
Earlier, Mr. Mulroney's chief spokesman in the federal auction of wireless spectrum was brought into question, after Liberal MP Scott Brison said the government may have violated "the spirit" of an order issued by Prime Minister Stephen Harper that banned his ministers and MPs from communicating with Mr. Mulroney.
But Industry Minister Jim Prentice denied that anything improper had occurred. Mr. Prentice told The Canadian Press that the issue did not arise because he met Mulroney aide Luc Lavoie only once, on Sept. 27, long before the latest cloud over Mr. Mulroney's dealings with Karlheinz Schreiber forced Mr. Harper to issue the order.