Ex-Tory MP Bernard Valcourt pleads not guilty to obstructing, resisting police

Former federal Conservative cabinet minister Bernard Valcourt stands in the House of Commons during Question Period on Parliament Hill, on June 10, 2015 in Ottawa. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand)

EDMUNDSTON, N.B. -

Former federal Conservative cabinet minister Bernard Valcourt has pleaded not guilty to obstructing and resisting police.

Valcourt, 71, is accused of allegedly obstructing the work of two police officers on Oct. 4 in Edmundston, N.B., located in the province's northwest, by the Maine border.

Little information is included in court documents about the incident involving Valcourt, who served as a New Brunswick MP in the governments of Brian Mulroney, Kim Campbell and Stephen Harper. He was also a member of New Brunswick's legislature.

Valcourt's lawyer, Basile Chiasson, says his client pleaded not guilty in Edmundston court earlier this week, adding that he had no further comment.

Chiasson says that since his client is well-known in the region, the case was transferred to a Quebec prosecutor, and a judge from outside the Edmundston area will preside over the proceedings.

The former MP for Madawaska--Restigouche held several government roles, including minister of Aboriginal affairs and northern development. He was defeated in the 2015 election.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1, 2023.