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Former Rights & Democracy president Warren Allmand, centre, joined human rights groups in calling for a public inquiry. (CBC)

Human rights groups staged a protest outside the Montreal offices of Rights & Democracy on Friday, demanding a public inquiry into inner turmoil at the taxpayer-funded organization that promotes human rights and democratic values.

The protesters claim a public inquiry is the only way to shed light on allegations of government interference in the organization, which was made under Brian Mulroney’s Conservative government.

Three staffers were suspended and then fired in early March for publicly questioning new Conservative appointees to the group’s board of directors.

The demonstrators also called for the removal of the organization’s new president, Gérard Latulippe, who was appointed earlier this month, despite objections from opposition parties as well as gay rights organizations and Muslim groups.

The groups expressed concern Latulippe was heavily opposed to Muslim interest groups and opposition politicians took issue with his past statements on immigration and gay rights.

“You cannot name a president of a human rights organization that is anti-lesbian/gay, for the death penalty — those two elements alone go against all the international human rights instruments,” Alexa Conradi, president of the Quebec Women’s Federation, said on Friday.

The government’s interference is part of a broader pattern of stifling criticism against its conservative agenda, the protesters said.

“You don’t pack boards, you don’t refuse funding and place a chill in organizations that are supposed to be independent,” said former Rights & Democracy president Warren Almand. “It’s an attack on democracy as we’ve known it in this country and it should not be tolerated.”

Foreign affairs committee asking questions

On Tuesday, the three managers who were fired from Rights & Democracy will testify before the House of Commons foreign affairs committee.

On Monday, the organization’s chair, Ariel Braun, announced he was pulling out of his appearance before the committee which had been scheduled for the following day. Braun gave no reason for the last-minute cancellation.

NDP MP Paul Dewar said the foreign affairs committee might have to subpoena Braun and other Rights & Democracy board members if they refuse to appear before April.

Braun’s cancellation came on the same day that an opinion piece under his name and those of other board members appeared in papers across the country. In the piece, Braun and the board members called on Parliament “to hold public hearings” into the state of affairs at the beleaguered organization “so that facts can replace fantasies.”

Latulippe declined requests for an interview on Friday.

Ernie Els was like many others Friday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Fla. He was tied for the lead, and not quite sure how he got there.

Els had to play out of the water to save par on the sixth to steady his round of 3-under-par 69. Davis Like III didn’t make a par over the first nine holes and shot 71.

Ben Curtis started his round of 67 with two straight bogeys. D.J. Trahan had a 68 to join them in a four-way tie for the lead at 7-under 137.

One shot behind was Phil Mickelson, who is starting to find his putting stroke at just the right time.

The evidence came not so much from a shot he fired at Bay Hill that place him in the thick of contention, but from a casual round earlier this week in the California desert. Mickelson shot a 58, the lowest score of his life.

“How did you hear about that?” Mickelson said, unaware either that excellent news travels quick or that he had mentioned it moments earlier in an interview with British-based Sky Sport.

He made 12 birdies and an eagle at The Plantation Golf Club in Indio, Calif., which Fred Couples helped design. Mickelson went there because the greens are similar to Bay Hill. “I finished up getting the putter going there, as well, and shot 58, yeah. That was fun.”

Weir in the hunt

Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont., was also in the mix, firing a 73 to stay three shots behind the leaders. Calgary’s Stephen Ames wasn’t so lucky, hitting a 71 to end the round at even par.

Friday at Bay Hill was as wild as it was fun, and not just for Mickelson, who hit two balls into the water and holed a wedge for eagle.

Like holed two more shots from off the green. Then he finished with back-to-back bogeys. Els bogeyed two of his first five holes and was on the verge of making more bogeys until he turned it around.

“A small surprised that I’m in the lead, but we’re there,” Els said. “It should be an fascinating weekend.”

Like will remember the 35-foot birdie putt on the 15th, holing out for birdie from a deep bunker in front of the 17th green and chipping in for birdie in front of the seventh green. The ball in the water at No. 8 or the small par putt he missed on the 14th? Forgotten.

“If you would have said Wednesday night whenever I was leaving the course, ‘You’ll be 7 under after two days and right at the top of the leaderboard,’ I’d have taken it,” Like said. “It’s right where you want to be. You want to be in the hunt.”

Like needs a victory at Bay Hill or next week in the Houston Open to get into the Masters.

Residents of the Natuashish, Labrador, Innu reserve have to keep a ban on alcohol in their community.

More than 300 votes were cast, with 188 people voting in favour of maintaining the ban and 125 voting to get rid of it. Three ballots were spoiled. There are more than 725 people in Natuashish, but hundreds of them are under the age of 18.

Natuashish Band Chief Simeon Tshakapesh, 42, told CBC News he is pleased with the result.

Tshakapesh, 42, who won an election earlier this month to become community’s chief, initially said he would instruct the RCMP to stop enforcing the ban.

The alcohol ban has been divisive since it was enacted two years ago. The vote at that time was held in public at the community gymnasium, with ban supporters standing on one side of the room, and opponents on the other. The ban supporters won by a narrow margin.

Tshakapesh said a secret ballot should have been used for the vote.

RCMP officials told CBC News that crime in the Innu community has dropped dramatically since the alcohol ban was imposed.

Substance abuse has been a chronic problem for Natuashish residents for many years. The community was founded in 2002 after residents left Davis Inlet, a village that became internationally notorious after images of gas-sniffing children were broadcast around the world.