Controversy Deputy mayor responds to union's complaint about meeting with port official

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SAINT JOHN - Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase says a letter written by an official of the longshoremen's union "takes a leap" in accusing him of impropriety because he accompanied new councillor Donnie Snook to lunch at the invitation of a port manager to discuss port matters, including the Irving Oil/Long Wharf deal.

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Pat Riley

Stephen Chase

"There's an assumption that I'm involved in strong-arming people into forming their position, which is absolutely not true at all," Chase says.

"They've met with other councillors. What's the difference?"

Indeed, while insisting that the meeting between Chase, Snook and Bill Eaton, the Port of Saint John's government relations manager, was "improper," business agent Pat Riley of Local 273 of the International Longshoremen's Association acknowledges that the ILA also contacted councillors to make their case known and has met with Mayor Ivan Court, too.

But he says that's different because the "improper" meeting had set a precedent.

"We asked them to not take any position as yet, but we had to in response to the fact that we found out that the deputy mayor and the port authority were taking people out to dinner on the other side," says Riley.

"So we had no choice."

Riley insists there's a difference.

"What if the mayor had taken me out to dinner with him with each of the individual councillors and I presented my case to him? Do you think there might be some people who might have said the mayor went too far? I think there are," says Riley.

Along with Court, the ILA met with councillors Bill Farren, Carl Killen and Snook, says Riley.

In the letter to common council dated July 3, Riley says that the deputy mayor should not have been accompanying Eaton "to any one-on-ones, especially when one considers that the deputy mayor has already made public his position in favour of the Irving Oil-Long Wharf deal."

"If he said nothing, it's an intimidation factor," Riley said in an interview. "If he said nothing, it was improper for him to be there."

But the meeting, says Chase, took place "well before" he had made his feelings about the project public and was called because the deputy mayor happens to know Snook, who had just been elected. After all, said Chase, the port is in Snook's riding.

"I offered to arrange a meeting and offered to come. We met for fish and chips at Thandi's," he said, estimating that the three talked for about 40 minutes.

"Bill gave an overview of issues at the port, including federal funding going into Quebec ports, cruise ship terminals. The conversation also included the proposal for Long Wharf.

"There was no ask for commitment. Part of my role there as deputy mayor was not only to facilitate that meeting but to make sure everything stayed above board."

Chase says that part of his job is to meet with stakeholders in the community.

"As deputy mayor in a leadership role, if I can facilitate dialogue, then I'll take that opportunity."

"It's important for members of council to be engaged in the community; sometimes that's over toast and coffee, sometimes it's fish and chips and sometimes it's just a telephone call."

Riley insists there's a big difference in the meetings of the two sides.

"We didn't take them out to dinner or ask the mayor to accompany us when we met with them.

"I have no hesitation in saying that if the mayor was with me when I met with each of the individual councillors about this issue, they'd be screaming to the high heavens. I don't have any doubt in my mind about that."