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 Bernier says page has turned on costly scandal |
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| Bernier says page has turned on costly scandal |
   
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LEVIS, Que. - Maxime Bernier admitted Wednesday that dealing with the scandal that cost him his job as Canada's foreign minister was "very hard in the beginning," but he declared the "page has been turned."
Bernier was swarmed by reporters as he arrived here to participate in his first national caucus meeting since his stunning resignation in May.
The Quebec MP, once a bright light in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, resigned after leaving classified documents at the apartment of his former girlfriend, Julie Couillard, who has past links to biker gangs.
Former Foreign Affairs minister Maxime Bernier: 'Right now, I'm quite happy, and for me, the page has been turned and it's a new beginning.'
Francis Vachon/Montreal Gazette
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Font:****On Wednesday, Bernier said he had nothing more to say about the scandal, and was looking forward to moving on.
"I've said what I had to say. I've talked to the people of (the riding of) Beauce, I've talked to Quebecers, I've talked to Canadians," he said outside the Levis Congress Centre, where the Conservatives are holding a two-day summer retreat.
"Right now I'm quite happy and for me, the page has been turned and it's a new beginning."
Bernier brushed off the question of whether he will testify before a parliamentary committee that is probing the scandal, noting he has already participated in a review by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
"Certain questions I haven't answered because they touch on my personal life. But I think the matter has been settled and I was very clear in my speech to the people of Beauce and to Quebecers."
After laying low for weeks, Bernier gave a campaign-style speech last month in his home riding of Beauce that was widely viewed as a first step in his efforts to salvage his reputation. He gave no indication that he will not run again in the next election.
In his speech, Bernier contradicted Couillard's assertions that he knew about her biker ties.
Couillard's first love, Gilles Giguere, was killed in a gangland execution in 2006, three months before the couple was to marry. Giguere was the right- hand man of loan shark Robert Savard, a close friend of Hells Angels boss Maurice Boucher.
She later married and divorced Stephane Sirois, a member of the Rockers, a Hells Angels puppet gang. He would became a Crown witness against his former associates. A third partner of Couillard's, Robert Pepin, hanged himself last May after becoming heavily indebted to loan sharks linked to the underworld.
Bernier conceded Wednesday that the scandal took its toll personally. But said he had no reservations about facing the entire Conservative caucus for the first time since his fall from grace.
"It's not difficult, because I did what I have to do. I resigned. I did what I had to do. Now I'm very comfortable with the situation," he said.
"I dealt with that. It took me some time to deal with that. It was very hard in the beginning, and so I'm feeling very comfortable. I'm very happy to be here and I'm happy to work with my colleagues. And that's it. Like I said, it's a new beginning for me."
Conservative national caucus chair Rahim Jaffer said Bernier would receive a warm welcome from his colleagues.
"Given the resignation of Mr. Bernier, and all the efforts he's made to explain what happened during this phase of his life, we're prepared to welcome him back into caucus and declare this chapter finished," said Jaffer, who represents the riding of Edmonton Strathcona.
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/s...34-0081a3634fd3
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30.07.2008 16:41 |
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