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College president didn’t benefit from funding urged by
his brother
By Mary Moszynski
He didn’t personally benefit from the millions of dollars
the college received from the federal government on the urging of
his brother, says the president of Holland College.
Alex MacAulay said he disagrees with the findings of a recent federal
ethics counsellor’s report, saying the people the money benefitted
were the students.
Ethics Counsellor Howard Wilson was investigating the over $6 million
given to Holland College for a justice project. Lawrence MacAulay,
Alex’s brother and at the time federal solicitor general, lobbied
the RCMP for money.
Wilson found Lawrence acted incorrectly, as his brother is the president
of the college and may have personally gained in the project.
“Clearly in my opinion the ethics consellor was incorrect,
he was simply wrong in his determination,” said Alex MacAulay.
“I gain no monetary interests from this project,” he said,
adding he also doesn’t have any shares in Holland College or
own any college property.
“I’m simply a watchkeeper here.”
Alex MacAulay said the project was supported by a number of partners
which would benefit from it and his brother was not the reason the
project received funding.
“At the end of the day the concept had to have at least the
chance of being commercially viable,” he said.
Partners in the project, which would see advances in continuing
education for law officials through the internet, include Universitie
de Moncton, Alliant, Ecom - a private company based in Moncton,
the RCMP and Corrections Canada.
The president said he did not ask his brother to lobby for funds
to further the project, although he was aware it was being discussed.
“At a certain point Lawrence spoke to the commissioner of the
RCMP,” he said.
“Any involvement he’d have would be indirect in nature.”
The former solicitor general was just trying to do his job to promote
Island institutes and help them succeed, the president said.
“I think he (Lawrence MacAulay) was trying to advance the development
of Holland College,” he said, adding the college deals on a
regular basis with the provincial and federal governments.
Meanwhile, Lawrence MacAulay said he was doing his job to help further
the college’s program, just as he helped other Island institutions.
“All I can say is I’m glad I didn’t have a brother
at UPEI or the hospital or any other public institution on P.E.I.,”
he said.
Although the member of Parliament does not agree with the findings
of the ethics commissioner, saying, “He is wrong,” he
resigned as solicitor general Oct. 22 immediately following Wilson’s
report.
“There was no way I could afford to tie up the mandate of this
government,” he said, adding he also resigned for the sake
of his family.
“I was quite proud of him,” said Alex MacAulay of the
resignation. “He obviously has priorities.”
The college was being compared to a private business rather than
being recognized as a public institution, Alex MacAulay said.
As well, both he and Lawrence say the media treated the situation
unfairly.
In fact, Lawrence MacAulay is now taking legal action against some
press and opposition.
“I think the media created the perception that didn’t
conform to reality,” said Alex.
They aren’t the only ones to blame, he added.
“It was more the media being used by other people,” he
said, citing members of the opposition party as an example.
Hillsborough MP Shawn Murphy agreed the media had a big part to
play in the recent controversy surrounding the former solicitor
general.
“He wasn’t treated fairly by the national media,”
he said, adding MPs from around the country support Lawrence and
agree he did nothing wrong.
UPEI political science professor David Bulger said the system of
government has a lot to do with the controversy surrounding the
former solicitor general.
“Lawrence MacAulay is simply a victim of an unworkable system
of government,” he said.
MPs with a ministe’rs portfolio have two jobs to fulfill, he
said.
“Lawrence MacAulay, as the solicitor general, unfortunately
wears two hats.”
The problem is, it’s easy for a MP to use his position as a
minister to help him do his job as an MP, said Bulger.
The professor said minister’s principal concerns should be
fullfilling their mandate as MP.
Although Prime Minister Jean Chretien didn’t have to appoint
a solicitor general from P.E.I., he did have to have one minister
from the Island as a matter of custom.
Bulger said he suspects in the next cabinet shuffle Wayne Easter,
who replaced Lawrence MacAulay as the solicitor general, will become
the fisheries minister.
Bulger also said Chretien appointed Easter rather than Island MPs
Murphy and Joe McGuire as they are strong Paul Martin supporters
while Easter is seen as neutral.
Despite all of the controversy surrounding the two men, it’s
business and usual for Lawrence and Alex MacAulay.
“I’m not in any great pain,” said Lawrence, adding
he’s received letters of support from all over the world, although
the ones closest to his hearts are the ones from Islanders.
As well, he said he intends to keep working as an MP, although he
said he doesn’t have much experience being a backbencher and
isn’t sure how it will affect his ability to serve P.E.I.
“As a minister I would say (it would be) easier.”
Alex said there’s always the view that bad publicity is better
than no publicity.
“I would suspect many more Canadians know we exist now,”
he said.
Also, the president said he doesn’t think students at the college
will think ill of the institution due to the recent media attention.
“I’d be very surprised if there are very many students
in the college that believe those allegations,” he said.
“Surprised would be an understatement.”
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