Group wants to ensure Charbonneau Commission recommendations are not ignored

MONTREAL – A new group that includes the head of Transparency International Canada wants to ensure the Quebec government does not ignore the recommendations of the Charbonneau Commission into corruption in the construction industry.

The committee says it will table its report Nov. 24, one year to the day Justice France Charbonneau issued her recommendations.

Inquiry testimony over 263 days revealed that some construction companies had links to organized crime and that the widespread collusion benefited political parties and corrupt bureaucrats.

Charbonneau’s recommendations included better protection for whistle-blowers; public consultations on the number of mandates a mayor can serve; and the creation of an independent public procurement authority to oversee the awarding of public contracts.

The new committee includes Peter Dent, president of Transparency International Canada, and Gilles Ouimet, a former Liberal member of the legislature.

Another member, Denis Saint-Martin, says it is important for all citizens to get involved in the fight against wrongdoing.

“If Quebec wants to get rid of corruption, it’s not just the government that will do it,” said Saint-Martin, a university professor. “Citizens and society as a whole must be involved in the process, not only bureaucrats, judges and investigators.

“We need to transform our culture, become aware and educate people that corruption is not a victimless crime.”

Charbonneau also called for tightening rules on the acceptance of gifts by public officials; identifying the employer of political party donors; and establishing a single ethics and lobbying commissioner to oversee the province and municipalities.

In Quebec City, Justice Minister Stephanie Vallee welcomed the new initiative.

“Seeing people become engaged in a process such as this one is healthy,” she said.

Vallee said about 80 per cent of Charbonneau’s proposed recommendations require legislative changes, which take a certain length of time.

She denied the Couillard government is dragging its feet.

“You will see that bills will be tabled (in the legislature) over the next few weeks,” she said.