Liberals deny Noseworthy claim on leadership

The president of Newfoundland and Labrador's Liberal party is rejecting John Noseworthy's claim that the former auditor general was offered the party's leadership earlier this month.

Noseworthy, who announced his intentions Tuesday to seek the Progressive Conservative nomination in a St. John's district, is standing by a provocative claim that the Liberal leadership had been offered to him outright, but he declined.

Noseworthy told CBC News he met with Liberal House Leader Kelvin Parsons on Aug. 2 and with now-resigned leader Yvonne Jones on Aug. 3, which was the Regatta Day holiday in St. John's.

"Things were ready to be rolled out on that Thursday after the Regatta, but I refused it," Noseworthy said in an interview with Here & Now.

Jones announced her decision to resign the following week, saying that she did not have the strength to lead the party's campaign into the Oct. 11 election.

But Liberal party president Judy Morrow said the leadership — which went to former cabinet minister Kevin Aylward on Sunday, after a hastily arranged screening process that drew six other candidates — was not offered to Noseworthy.

"Either Mr. Noseworthy is mistaken or there was a miscommunication," Morrow told CBC News.

"I have no doubt, as he says, that he's spoken with Mr. Parsons or Mrs. Jones. That may have very well been the case, to have been encouraged or to see if he may be interested in the position."

Noseworthy met with Parsons and Jones just days after he finished work as auditor general. He left the position at the end of July, and resigned 13 months before the end of a 10-year appointment.

Noseworthy is aiming for the Tory nomination in Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi, which has been a bastion for the New Democrats for more than two decades.

NDP Leader Lorraine Michael has held the seat since a 2006 byelection.

Noseworthy, who is best known for the reports that imprisoned four politicians and two other men over the legislative spending scandal, said he is ready for a change.

"I've been like an Opposition party all my career," said Noseworthy, who described some of his own reports as "scathing."

Noseworthy said he learned much about problems with government administration, and can make a difference from inside the government.

"I would like to help develop some good policy … I believe the PCs will form the government and I would like to be part of that team," said Noseworthy.

Noseworthy lives in Paradise, some distance from Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi. He said he is aiming to run there because it is the only St. John's-area district where the Tories do not have a candidate.

Meanwhile, Noseworthy said he should fit in well with politicians whose decisions and work he had criticized for years.

"I like the PCs. They've done a good job since they were in," he said.