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Eurocopter and European manufacturer Augusta-Westland both expressed interest when the tender was announced in 2012, but subsequently pulled out of the race before the June 3 closing date.

Rivals have said the exemption gave Bell Helicopter an unfair advantage.

A Public Works statement said “proposals were solicited via an open, fair, competitive and transparent Request for Proposals process, through which any company was afforded the opportunity to bid.”

The statement also noted that a fairness monitor oversaw the process.

I had tried to avoid this question

A Eurocopter spokesperson said a lawsuit had been filed on Thursday but would not comment further as “the case is before the courts.”

Eurocopter’s concerns about the exemption date back to April 2011, when emails obtained by the National Postshow Transport Canada staff reacting to letters sent by Eurocopter.

“I had tried to avoid this question,” read an April email written by Andrew Stirzaker, a senior project manager at Transport Canada, following receipt of the letter.

“But evidently, Eurocopter [parent company] has told ECL [Eurocopter Canada Ltd.] to make a response to TCCA [Transport Canada Civil Aviation] with regards this exemption.”

The decision to grant the exemption was approved on behalf of Minister of Transport Denis Lebel, who is also the Economic Development Minister for Quebec.

The controversial weight exemption was granted in the face of pleas from Tory MP Rick Dykstra, who urged the Minister to abandon the plan for fear it would “undermine our commitment to a fair procurement environment … [and] risk damaging the integrity of Transport Canada, due to the perception of collusion with a Canadian company in the absence of any clear public interest,” according to a letter obtained by the National Post.