In 2010, Maclean’s magazine stirred up controversy with its Bonhomme Carnaval cover, entitled “The Most Corrupt Province in Canada.”

Parliament, led by the Bloc Québécois (BQ), unanimously condemned the article. Now, in light of all the revelations at the Charbonneau Commission, shouldn’t the BQ apologize for its hasty condemnation? (Photo: CP Images)

An inquiry into political corruption had been demanded by the Parti Québécois (PQ) and the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) since 2009. Then-Premier Jean Charest stubbornly refused to act, but mounting pressure from the media and even from unions forced Charest in 2011 to establish an inquiry presided over by Judge France Charbonneau.

Her mandate is to determine whether “systems of corruption and collusion have been perverting the public contract-granting system for the past 15 years at the expense of public finances.”

What has come out so far would make Bonhomme want to put his head in a brown bag.

According to Jacques Duchesneau, MNA for the CAQ and former head of UPAC, Quebec’s permanent anti-corruption unit, political financing is mainly done with dirty money. He claims that orders to get the money come “from above” and accused engineering firms of overcharging the transportation ministry and giving the excess to political parties.

This corruption involved political parties at the municipal level. Many contracts were awarded to corrupt entrepreneurs, with some of the proceeds given to municipal political parties. Investigations eventually led to the resignation of many mayors, including Gérald Tremblay of Montreal, Michael Applebaum (his successor) and Gilles Vaillancourt of Laval. Other mayors around Montreal allegedly received dubious money as well.

Provincial politicians were also involved. At first, the spotlight was directed towards Liberals; former vice-premier Nathalie Normandeau received roses for her birthday from an alleged corrupt entrepreneur; Line Beauchamp and Tony Tomassi, former Charest ministers, went to the infamous 357C Club in Montreal, where many engineering firms had discussions about “business.”

The PQ was happy to label this a Liberal scandal until a former VP at Roche, an engineering firm, claimed that former PQ Minister Guy Chevrette had helped him get a paving contract in exchange for money in the late 90s (which Chevrette promptly denied). This inspired Premier Pauline Marois to demand that Judge Charbonneau lead her inquiry “with more care.”

No matter how many more revelations Charbonneau produces, it’s just a soap opera like the 2004-06 John Gomery Commission, which investigated the federal Liberals’ Sponsorship Program.

No one who talks before Charbonneau can be accused directly as it is simply a forum. Only UPAC has such powers; it has already investigated and in some cases arrested those named during Charbonneau.

This looks once again like “the Quebec way” conducting an inquiry and then letting the report collect dust on the shelves.