When Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne dropped in at Sudbury Liberal riding campaign office during the June 2014 provincial election, she left with a good impression of candidate Andrew Olivier.

"He seemed like a fine, young man," she testified Wednesday at the bribery trial of Sudbury businessman and Liberal fundraiser Gerry Lougheed Jr. and Patricia Sorbara, former deputy chief of staff in Wynne’s office. "I didn’t know what was going on on the ground in the riding as I was focusing on the provincial campaign. I thought because we had a sitting member in Sudbury for some time and because Andrew Olivier was a fine young man, we had a good chance of winning.

"During the debriefing (after the election), I came to understand the (Olivier) campaign had not been as strong as I thought. They had not been pulling together as a team and Andrew Olivier had not been as strong as I had thought … It seemed a surprise we wouldn’t have held a riding we had so long."

Sorbara and Lougheed have both pleaded not guilty in the case. They’re accused of offering would-be candidate Olivier a job or appointment to get him to step aside for Glenn Thibeault, Wynne’s preferred candidate.

Wynne said that when Sudbury New Democrat MPP Joe Cimino resigned on Nov. 20, 2014, two of the same names that had surfaced during the nomination process for the Liberal party in the riding in the spring of 2014 – Olivier and former Greater Sudbury mayor Marianne Matichuk – resurfaced.

"They were both in the mix," she said.

But everything changed, said Wynne, when she learned in early December that Sudbury New Democrat MP Glenn Thibeault was thinking of crossing the floor and running for the Liberals in the February 2015 byelection.

"I thought it was an intriguing idea," she said. "I thought it was something to explore … (But) we had no idea if Glenn Thibeault was really sure about running for us."

Wynne said she arranged to meet with Thibeault at her Toronto home to talk. When they met, she was impressed.

"I felt that Glenn and I had connected," she said. "I liked the questions he was asking. He was interested in what we were doing as a government."

Wynne said she stressed to Thibeault that if he made the switch and won the byelection, an immediate cabinet post was out of the question.

"I have a belief that when a member is elected, they have an opportunity to understand the system," she said. "I made it clear to Glenn that was my belief and that was my position … My understanding was he was very respectful of that and it made a lot of sense."

All that was needed now, said Wynne, was for Thibeault to say yes to the move. That development, she said, would mean Olivier and Matichuk would be asked to withdraw because Thibeault, who was well known in Sudbury, would have an excellent chance of winning the byelection.

When Thibeault confirmed Dec. 11 he would make the move, Wynne asked Lougheed, who knew Olivier, to talk to him about the development and convince him to withdraw from seeking the nomination. When the two men talked that day, Wynne said Lougheed left with the impression Olivier was still thinking of pursing the nomination.

"He wasn’t the candidate and we wanted to keep him as a member of the Liberal family," she said. "This was a difficult moment for him because at that moment, we decided Glenn Thibeault would be the Liberal candidate."

When she called Olivier later that day, Wynne said she made it clear to Olivier he would not be the candidate.

"The conversation was about keeping him involved," she said. "This was a difficult moment for him. He was thinking about being the Liberal candidate again. The reality is, and I didn’t say that to him, he hadn’t been a great candidate in the general election. We were looking for a candidate we had confidence in and would win the riding."

Wynne said she did not have to call Olivier, but did so out of compassion.

"I thought it was the decent thing to do, to reach out to him and hear from me I was prepared to appoint Glenn Thibeault," she said. "I would have appreciated the same treatment."

Wynne said she also brought up that there were possibilities for Olivier to pursue within the party, such as being on commissions, but that he would have to follow a process.

"I told him there were many ways to be involved," she said. "He would have to make a decision as to which process … It could be a different process depending on what he was interested in. These are not things that could happen immediately."

The trial heard the party operates four commissions: Women’s, Young Liberals, Indigenous and Senior Members. The commissions help develop party policy.

"I felt it was a good thing for him to be involved (in the party) locally," she said. "He brought experience and a good perspective to the Liberal family and my hope was that he would stay."

Wynne said the riding association was purposely kept in the dark to allow Thibeault time to make a decision. She said that when Olivier held a press conference on Dec. 15 announcing he was withdrawing from seeking the nomination, the party had to move quickly and announce Thibeault’s candidacy. That happened the next day.

Asked about Olivier’s decision to announce on Facebook in late November he would be seeking the nomination in the byelection, Wynne agreed that the move was "premature" since a nomination process had yet to be developed.

Wynne also noted that during the June, 2014 election campaign, Olivier made a statement about the Catholic School system in the province that was contrary to official party policy.

"It was very surprising and concerning," she said.

After Wynne was finished testifying and the trial broke for lunch, Wynne briefly addressed reporters outside the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines building, telling them, "I said everything I had to say."

As she spoke, several protesters spoke over her comments saying things like "liar, liar, pants on fire" and "shame on you."

As Wynne headed to her car, one protester yelled "an election is coming up, not soon enough."

Moments earlier, Timmins-James Bay New Democrat MPP Gilles Bisson, who has been attending the trial, told reporters that with some areas, Wynne had an excellent memory, but a bad one in others. He also said the trial has shown that the local Liberals were not "one big, happy family."

Bisson said he is glad a trial is being conducted.

"The legislation is clear: you make someone a bribe or officer a job or anything to dissuade someone from seeking a candidacy," he said.

Bisson also said it’s wrong that a political party leader has the power to appoint someone to run in a riding. He said the New Democrats, both in Ontario and nationally, do not allow for appointment of candidates, as it is best that local riding members select whom they want.

"In our system, there is a nomination process," he said. "At times, it’s sticky. But it’s done. This should be all about the voters back home … At the end of the day, it’s the general public who decides."

The Crown – the Public Prosecution Service of Canada — expects to call 17 witnesses. Those still scheduled to testify include former Sudbury Liberal MPP Rick Bartolucci, current Sudbury Liberal MPP and Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault, and Matichuk.

The trial continues Thursday.

hcarmichael@postmedia.com

Twitter: @HaroldCarmichae