I am not now, nor have I ever been, a member of the Conservative Party of Canada

At my wedding reception, one of my best friends, Carlo, told the false story that he and I worked for the PC party in Ottawa in 1988. This is completely untrue.

He and I worked for the Government of Canada, External Affairs, as students hired on a summer employment programme. He also claimed that I snubbed then-PM Brian Mulroney. Also untrue. I have never met the "esteemed" former PM.

However, all of us students were invited to have our pictures taken with Secretary of State for External Affairs Joe Clarke, which I did--at a distance. We were also asked to do the work of the PC party itself--an entirely unethical request, and I think illegal--by a senior member of the Minister's staff. We were to participate in envelope stuffing of some sort and to be paid in pizza, after hours.

I told Carlo something to the effect that "I'm not going to work for those pigs," and I meant it. Whether he went or not, I cannot recall--but within five years the PC party was reduced to two seats in our federal parliament. Connection? You be the judge.