OTTAWA - Stephane Dion tore a strip Tuesday off the Liberal party's national director for casting doubt on the loyalty of former leadership rivals.
But the new leader drew the line at firing Jamie Carroll, his hand-picked choice for the party's top administrative post.
"It was an inaccurate and an immature comment and I will not tolerate that,'' Dion told reporters.
"He made a mistake and he will not repeat it.''
Michael Ignatieff, Dion's deputy leader and second-place finisher at last December's leadership convention, told the leader over the weekend that Carroll should be fired, sources have told The Canadian Press.
Ignatieff and other former top leadership contenders were incensed by Carroll's admission in a new book, "Against the Current,'' that he feared one or more of the erstwhile rivals were plotting against Dion.
"What they do in public doesn't bother me. It's the shit they do behind the scenes _ which I may not know they're doing _ that keeps me up at night,'' Carroll is quoted as saying.
Dion said he directly expressed his displeasure "very, very clearly'' to Carroll, who played a key role in his leadership campaign and even lent him $30,000 for the effort.
Some Liberals have privately suggested that the 27-year-old party director can't rebuild and unify the party now that he's openly shown he doesn't trust those who were involved in other leadership camps.
But Dion dismissed suggestions Carroll can no longer do his job.
"He will play this role because he's very good and we could not condemn somebody for one mistake.''
Dion also attempted to turn the controversy into a matter of showing decisive leadership. He cast himself as someone who won't tolerate anything that sows discord in the party but also someone who won't throw a loyalist overboard for a first offence, no matter how riled his former rivals may be.
"It's another way I want to be leader. Many mistakes may happen. I want mistakes to be corrected and I want to work as a team. It's what I have shown as a leader.''
