Mayor told police he never offered rival a job

Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien told police he never offered his rival a job or appointment in exchange for dropping out of the 2006 mayoral race, court heard Monday.

The mayor made the statements in an interview to provincial police. A video of the interview was played as evidence at his influence peddling trial.

Charges against the mayor stem from allegations he encouraged Terry Kilrea to drop out of the mayor's race in exchange for a federal appointment on the National Parole Board.

"I would go on, you know, the record very clearly. I never offered him (Kilrea) a job, period. I never promised him a job, period," O'Brien told police in April 2007.

• Watch O'Brien's full interview with police. Hear what the mayor has to say about the allegations.

In the taped interview, O'Brien admitted he did have a meeting with Kilrea in July 2006. He said he hoped to convince Kilrea to drop out of the mayor's race because he felt they were both targeting the same voters, and feared they would split the right-of-centre vote.

O'Brien said although he hoped Kilrea would take his name off the ballot, he never brought up the National Parole Board during their conversation.

Rather, O'Brien said Kilrea was the one who brought up the parole board job; something Kilrea also corroborated during his testimony last week.

O'Brien said he then contacted longtime Conservative and personal friend John Reynolds to seek advice following the meeting. O'Brien told police he was advised to stay clear of the matter.

"I was given very clear advice - 'Don't touch it period; full stop. This is not something, one you have the power to do, and two that it's probably going to be illegal,'" O'Brien told police.

O'Brien said that's when he contacted Kilrea to tell him if he wanted a position on the National Parole Board, he should apply for one himself.

O'Brien said Kilrea knew Conservative Minister John Baird better than he did, and recalled telling Kilrea if he wanted a job with the parole board, he should contact Baird to apply for a position.

O'Brien went on to admit the meeting with Kilrea was a mistake made by someone new to politics.

"The real rookie mistake was me even talking to this guy (Kilrea) because I had the feeling at some point that there was a bit of baiting going on," he said.

Observers say the videotaped interview with police may be the only time that court will hear from the mayor during the course of his trial.

The judge will rule on a media application to release the video of O'Brien's interview on Tuesday.

Last week, Kilrea wrapped up seven days of testimony, during which the defence challenged his credibility and painted him as a political opportunist.

Kilrea testified that O'Brien told him Baird, who was then-president of the Treasury Board, was the one who could help him with a federal appointment.

Kilrea alleged O'Brien also told him he had spoken to Reynolds, and his name was "in the queue" for an appointment to the National Parole Board.

According to Baird's testimony on Thursday, he never had discussions with O'Brien, Reynolds or any other federal Conservatives about Kilrea or a federal appointment.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Natalie Pierosara