French versus English Volume 93

PQ's Andre Boisclair accused of steering contract to friend

André Boisclair: You've got a lot of 'splaining to do!

In a revelation at Quebec's Charbonneau crime commission, an entrepreneur, Paul Sauvé, who had ties to the Hells Angels revealed that he received the go-ahead for a $2.5 million contract by his friend, the then PQ minister André Boisclair, just four days  before the provincial election that would see the PQ defeated by Jean Charest's Liberals. Link

What's wrong with this?
Once an election is called it is traditional for ministers to act as caretakers and refrain from making any new undertaking that would bind the future government.

When the CAQ got a hold of the letter confirming that the subsidy to renovate a historic downtown church in Montreal, all Hell broke lose with the CAQ's Jacques Duchesneau accusing Boisclair, now Quebec's delegate-general in New York, of directing a lucrative contract to his friend in the dying days of the PQ government, a government that at that point was trailing badly in the polls and was sure to lose the general election to be held a few days later.

But Duchesneau went farther, questioning publicly if Boisclair's admitted cocaine use had anything to do with his decision to grant the contract. He then made a dubious connection over the fact that the entrepreneur was connected to the Hell's Angles.

It was a classic smear attack, framed in the innocent 'I'm just asking' context' which may or may not have backfired because it gave Boisclair and the PQ a different set of talking points.

An indignant Boisclair fired off a legal letter to Duchesneau threatening legal action for defamation, but Duchesneau seems unperturbed, he doesn't threaten easily as demonstrated in the past.

Boisclair really didn't have any choice but to react forcefully, but the prospect of a lawsuit  would be devastating to him and his office. Any  subsequent lawsuit would revisit his cocaine use in painful detail, something he has never done. Boisclair has admitted using cocaine while a minister but has successfully put that chapter in his life behind him.

Taking the witness stand, facing an aggressive cross examination by a shark lawyer over his cocaine use would be humiliating and possibly ruinous.

Here's the type of questions he might expect.

"How many times did you do cocaine?"
"Describe the circumstances"
"With whom?"
"Who was your dealer and how much was your habit costing"
"Were you ever blackmailed or threatened by anyone relating to your addiction?"
"Did the entrepreneur in question know about your cocaine use and did you give him the contract to shut him up?"
"Tell us about the people you did cocaine with?"

Readers, you've seen enough TV court room drama to understand that Boisclair would be dragged through the mud, very publicly,  guilty or innocent. The process would be devastating.

Duchesneau displays letter confirming subsidy

The truth is that Boisclair wants to shut down the debate and nothing does it better or faster than a lawsuit.
Once the lawyers get involved, litigants are forced to cease debating the issue in public and if in a year or so Boisclair drops the suit, it will have served its purpose.
Let us remember the infamous Tony Accurso and how he used this exact strategy to shut up Radio-Canada reporters who he also sued for defamation.  Link

In a desperate and utterly pathetic move, Boisclair started an online petition denouncing Duchesneau, urging citizens to support him.

In the back of everyone's mind, is the fact that  Duchesneau has made some pretty outrageous accusations in the past, for one, claiming that 70% of political donations were 'dirty,' a shocking allegation at the time, which ultimately turned out to be completely true.

Duchesneau has been the go-to guy for whistle blowers, a political version of Claude Poirier, Quebec's most famous crime reporter.
If there is dirt on Boisclair, (and I'm sure there is) Duchesneau knows of it or will know of it.
For Mr. Boisclair, all I can say is be afraid, be very afraid.

Late developing.....
It's started already, Eric Caire a member of the CAQ is demanding that Boisclair reveal who supplied him with cocaine.

"Me, I went shopping to Métro yesterday and didn't see any cocaine on the shelves, so I imagine that if one wants to buy cocaine it has to come from an illegal source, regardless of whether you're a minister or a junkie.. Link{fr}

Sheesh!......

Why did police really visit Liberal leader Philippe Couillard's home?

I've thought long and hard about publishing this piece of speculation, because I very much want the Liberals and the Philippe Couillard to succeed.
But in the end, it would be hypocritical to hold back and so here goes.

I don't have any inside knowledge about fraud, influence peddling or the culpability of any members of the Liberal party or the attendant entourage.
The only political personality I can comment upon is ex-Premier Jean Charest who will never be implicated in any question of corruption because he wasn't corrupt.  I know this personally and from my experiences with him.
You can believe me or not.

Now recently we heard about UPAC raiding the Quebec Liberal party headquarters and so there is little doubt that some sort of investigation is going on.
Leaks in the press indicate that certain ex-Liberal MPs are under investigation, including ex-minister Nathalie Normandeau.
Last week UPAC, the anti-corruption unit met with Marie-Ève Ringuette, the directer-general of the Quebec liberal party.
The interview took place  at the offices of the Sûreté du Québec in Montreal, which is significant because it tells me that Madame Ringuette is not the subject of the investigation and is providing background or explanations about how things work within the party.
How do I know this?
Because targets of criminal investigations aren't usually called in, they are surprised at their homes, usually early in the morning by investigators who don't want to give the suspect time to consult with a lawyer or cohorts in order to get their stories straight.

And that readers, is exactly what happened to Phillippe Couillard, who had a visit to his home, early in the morning, not by UPAC investigators, but by two policeman attached to the 'Marteau Squad' the police arm attached to UPAC.
Mr. Couillard described the visit as 'a disagreeable human experience' I would imagine it was... Link{fr}

Given the fact that Mr. Coulliard is a new leader and that the supposed investigation he refers to hearkens back to a time when he was out of politics, (he retired in June 2008,) one can only speculate on exactly how Mr. Couillard can help police with the current investigation.

It is not unfair to speculate that the visit actually had to do with another investigation, that of the famous Arthur Porter/SNC-Lavalin affair, where it is alleged that the engineering firm paid about $22 million in bribes to hospital officials.
Given Coullard's very close relationship with Porter at that time and his position as Minister of Health, it would be remiss of police not to interview Couillard.
I earnestly hope that Couillard is as innocent as a jaybird in all this, but ignoring the fact that he was interviewed aggressively in his home, cannot be ignored or passed over as trivial.
So that's all I'm saying.

Arthur Porter could make a lot of people happy by dying quickly

Reports in the press indicate that Arthur Porter won't live out the year, so serious is his metastasized cancer.
If the reports are true, and he delays his extradition for a couple more months, he will never see the inside of a court room and believe me, a lot of people are crossing their fingers for exactly that to happen.

The players involved are charged with offering and accepting $22 million in bribes allegedly paid by engineering firm SNC-Lavalin  to Arthur Porter and friends, in order to secure the contract to build the billion dollar super hospital, presently under construction in Montreal.

It was revealed this week that Riadh Ben Aissa, the SNC-Lavalin executive who is the alleged facilitator in the deal is to be returned to Canada from Switzerland where he has been in detention over the affair for the last 17 months.

"Canadian investigators allege that Mr. Ben Aissa “orchestrated the transfer” of $22.5-million from SNC-Lavalin to a company called Sierra Asset Management in the Bahamas, according to a police affidavit. Investigators suspect the money was used to bribe public officials in order to win the hospital contract." National Post

Those charged along with Arthur Porter, the former chief executive of the MUHC, were Yanaï Elbaz, the former MUHC executive in charge of the real estate deal, as well as former SNC-Lavalin CEO Pierre Duhaime and SNC-Lavalin, executive Riadh Ben Aissa.
As well as the above gentlemen, Jeremy Morris, believed to be a principal with Bahamas-based Sierra Asset Management was also arrested when he voluntarily returned to Canada to face charges as did Arthur Porter's wife Pamela, charged with money-laundering.

But central to the investigation is Arthur Porter who like the proverbial keystone, holds everything together.
If he dies the case will become infinitely harder to prosecute and these sophisticated players are not likely to crack.

Quebecers across the entire province are going to the polls this November to elect local city councils and mayors.Of course the long shadow of corruption is casting quite the pall and many of those mayors under investigation for corruption are actually running for office once again.

There are 55 current investigations of sitting and former mayors underway and of these, of the 27 mayors that are still in power, 16 are re-running for office again. Link[fr}
Perhaps they can use this campaign slogan;

"Vote for me, I haven't been convicted yet!" 

The strangest case of all is that of Guy Landry,  the head of the Parti des Lavallois, running for mayor in Quebec's third largest city, Laval.
Mr. Landry is accused of accepting welfare payments illegally, between 2005 and 2009. He is contesting the $40,000 that the welfare department wants back. Link{fr}

Ritalin use in Quebec skyrockets

In 2010, Quebec children consumed 35% of all the Ritalin (attention deficit disorder medication.) prescribed in Canada.

It seems that this trend is only getting worse, with usage up by 25% since then, from $25 million worth of pills in 2010 to $30 million in 2012, rising a staggering 12% and 13% in the last two years.

Why the increase"
According to an expert, quoted in the article,  it's all caused by video games... Link {fr}

SSJB launches mobile app to fight English in stores

" If you've ever wanted to know which stores and businesses in town are considered "franco-responsible" — well, there's an app for that.
Montreal's Société St-Jean-Baptiste has launched a mobile app called "Moi, j'achète en français", which identifies businesses the group says does its business in French." CJAD

 

Employer Council publishes dismal 2013 report on Quebec prosperity

"For the fourth consecutive year, the Employers Council has released its Report Card on Quebec Prosperity, which aims to evaluate and compare Quebec's economic positioning in terms of prosperity and wealth creation.

At today's press conference announcing details of the 2013 Report Card, Employers Council president Yves-Thomas Dorval, appealed to members of the National Assembly - from every political party - to act diligently, in tandem with businesses and other vital forces in society, to help Quebec meet the many challenges it currently faces, in a concerted effort to improve the province's economic performance.

"As clearly noted in the 2013 Report Card on Quebec Prosperity and in many other more recent economic indicators, as well as in some of the news headlines of late, there is an urgency to collectively combine our efforts so that Quebecers can aspire to a better long-term future," stated Mr. Dorval. "Courageous and responsible decisions must be made today to ensure sustainable prosperity for future generations, enabling them to continue to enjoy an unequalled quality of life. Accordingly, we believe attacks against business investment projects, or adopting moratoriums or holding debates that aren't a priority should be avoided. Instead, there should be an encouragement of constructive action, whether it pertains to manpower, taxation, or business environment regulations. Quebec also needs to implement a business plan that would enable the province to excel in the global market." Link

Odds'n Ends

A Montrealer, Alexandre Paul,  has been arrested in Russia in relation to a Greenpeace stunt meant to embarrass Russia over drilling in the Arctic, by scaling a drilling platform. Link{fr}
The Russians don't take kindly to these efforts and have charged him along with others with piracy and I don't mean downloading Lady Gaga illegally.
Piracy as in 'shiver me timbers,' which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in jail.

Mr. Paul should have realized that the Russians have no use for Greenpeace and that they would deal as harshly as they have with the organization.
Check out this Moscow arrest;

The Canadian Press has erroneously reported that the activists were sentenced to two months in jail, when in fact they were ordered held for two months, while prosecutors mulled piracy charges.
It was an amateur mistake for a national news agency.

Russian photographer Denis Sinyakov was remanded

Canadian Press;
"As of noon Thursday, Paul had yet to be seen by a judge, but seven other militants and members of the Arctic Sunrise environmental team had been judged by a tribunal and each sentenced to two months in jail on charges of piracy." Link

New York Times:

A Russian court ordered on Thursday that 10 Greenpeace activists, including an American ship captain and a photographer who was accompanying the group, be held in custody for two months while the authorities investigate whether a demonstration at an offshore oil rig in the Arctic was an act of piracy. Link

BBC

A Russian court has remanded 20 activists from a Greenpeace ship in custody for two months for allegedly trying to seize an oil platform.

 Under Russian law the prosecution can ask a judge to detain people pending further investigation...

...The charge of piracy carries a prison term of up to 15 years in Russia. Link

RT (Russian news service)

Eleven people who were aboard Greenpeace’s ship Arctic Sunrise will spend two months in pre-trial detention, a Murmansk court ruled. The ship's crew faces charges of piracy for boarding an Arctic oil rig.
In addition, five activists are to be held for three days ahead of a new hearing.
The 30 defendants in the dock include four Russians and foreigners from 19 countries, including the US and Canada. Link

*************

The Canada Revenue Agency is acknowledging that it “incorrectly” sent a $382,000 tax refund to mob boss Nicolo Rizzuto in 2007, vowing to crack down on any wrongdoing inside the tax-collection agency.

The Minister of National Revenue, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, refused on Thursday to directly address statements by retired CRA officials who said the cheque raised questions about the integrity of the tax system, and questioned the CRA’s decision to shut down a unit that specifically audited criminal figures. Link

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A report from the Canadian Institute (CIHI) states that a quarter (24.9%) of the approximately 75,000 doctors in the country earned a doctorate in medicine from abroad. Saskatchewan has the highest in this area with 46.5% of the actual proportion.
Physicians practicing in Quebec, but trained elsewhere, come mainly from France (411), Lebanon (156), Vietnam (126), Egypt (109) and United States (91).

Quebec with 18,990 doctors, has a proportion of only 10.9% of foreign trained doctors. In the 1980s, the proportion was about 16%. Link{fr}

I wonder why?

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Quebec City may step in over Bixi money woes

Here's two strange ones;

Mouvement Québec français denies supporting the Charter of Quebec values

Former SSJB president slams values charter


Seen at a pro Hijab rally:

"My veil ...or welfare"...yikes   More pics here

Finally Some good news..sort of!

"Montreal's subway system may end up with one the most advanced wireless networks in the world, equipped with state-of-the-art technology that allows commuters to use cellphones, laptops and tablets.
Four major telecom companies announced jointly on Wednesday a $50 million project to provide wireless communications for the Montreal subway, including in stations and tunnels, within seven years. Read more:

Seven years....really?

I bet the average techie could set up a WiFi router in an afternoon.
How about contracting out to  the Geek Squad?

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Some real good news:

McGill students win $1-million prize for idea of using insects to battle hunger

"..a team of MBA students from McGill University has won a $1-million dollar prize for trying to advance this idea. The Hult Prize, handed out Monday by former U.S. president Bill Clinton, is the culmination of a year long social-entrepreneurship competition involving thousands of students.The McGill team, consisting of Mohammed Ashour, Gabe Mott, Jesse Pearlstein, Shobhita Soor and Zev Thompson – won for their plan to produce and promote insect farming for food consumption in urban slums.."  Read more

Some real good news:

Breakfast television hits Montreal

We are so used to seeing things leaving Montreal that it is refreshing to welcome the  new Montreal  TV affiliate of CITY TV in Montreal.

I particularly like the newest version of Montreal's version of Breakfast Television with ex-Olympian Alexandre Despatie and veteran Joanne Vrakas.

Vrakas sparkles, exuding that certain sophisticated Montreal dry humour, playing off straight man Despatie. It works!

Here's a bit of unsolicited advice, lose the orange juice or take a sip now and then or alternately spill a bit out off camera. ITS CHEESY, but perhaps necessary.Try to be a bit more subtle with product placement.
Also a bit more content would be nice, but I imagine the show is a work in progress, but one  which I give an enthusiastic thumbs up.

I particularly like the music at fade in or out, but I would recommend a bit more caution on the part of the musical director.
Sitting at the breakfast table with BTV playing on the TV in the background, my daughter eyes lit up.
"What the Hell is that !" she asked.

She grabbed the remote control, rewound a bit and sure enough the explicit lyrics of a song by Mackeore & Ryan Lewis' "Thriftshop" boomed out over the airwaves.

"♪ ♫ This is F**king Awesome!" ♪ ♫ "

Yikes!

Final laugh of the week

..and the moral of the story in this picture?.....

Have a great weekend!

Bonne fin de semaine!