Quebec Liberals accused of taking handfuls of cash again

[punked]

The reputation of Premier Jean Charest’s Liberal government could be irreparably damaged by the remarks from former justice minister Marc Bellemare, who said he saw party officials take cash donations to circumvent laws that limit the size of political donations to $3,000 per year, and was pressed by influential party fundraisers to appoint particular people as judges during his tenure.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/quebec/charest-knew-party-was-dodging-fundraising-laws-former-minister-says/article1532050/

[Handsome Rob]

Quebec taking money is news? I'd thought this was ordinary day to day stuff?

[August1991]

Quebec taking money is news? I'd thought this was ordinary day to day stuff?

Perhaps Quebec politicians taking money is not news in English Canada.

But then in French Canada, it would be news if any WASP in English Canada did not suffer from constipation.

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Marc Bellemare, Minister of Justice for one year in 2003, is now claiming that the Charest government named judges (and other political appointees) according to the wishes of people contributing to the Quebec Liberal Party. Bellemare claims that he saw wads of cashes changing hands.

Bellemare resigned in 2004 stating that politics was not for him. Later, he ran twice for mayor of Quebec City (losing dismally both times). In 2007, his last effort, he got 3.8% of the popular vote. (He ran on a scheme to have the Pope Benoit visit Quebec City.)

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I certainly would not defend Jean Charest who is possibly the most cynical politician in Canada today. But I just don't think that Bellemare's arguments make much sense. Rather, I see two things.

First, Quebec is a polarized society. About 30% of voters in Quebec desperately want a separate country. They will latch on to anything that denigrates a federalist Quebec politician. (I wonder whether polarization is a good or bad thing in a civilized society, or even whether it's relevant.)

Second, outside of Quebec, there are many Quebec-bashers who love to see more evidence that French people or Quebecers are incompetent/corrupt/bad. (BTW, Sir John A. Macdonald for example, born in Scotland, took bribes. I don't know if he suffered from hemorrhoids.)

Bellemare's interviews feeds to both prejudices/opinions.

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Lastly if you read French, here is a good piece by Yves Boisvert. I largely agree with him.

Cette fois, Marc Bellemare a parlé. À TVA et à la SRC, il a raconté que des collecteurs de fonds avaient leur mot à dire sur des nominations et l'avancement de certains projets de loi.

Qui sont donc «les gens qui étaient considérés comme étant des collecteurs influents et significatifs du parti»? Le très bref ministre de la Justice ne le dit pas.

Mais ce qu'il dit est suffisamment grave et précis pour être examiné en commission parlementaire, comme le souhaite l'avocat de Québec.

La Presse Edited April 14, 2010 by August1991

[Smallc]

About 30% of voters in Quebec desperately want a separate country.

Not to disagree with your central point, but I have to disagree here. Before the Sponsorship scandal came to light, the support for separatism was at about 25% and falling according to what I've read a few places (which I can't find now). The number is probably closer to 20% than 30%. There are about twice as many people that say they're sovereigntist, but many just don't really care.

[Wild Bill]

Perhaps Quebec politicians taking money is not news in English Canada.

But then in French Canada, it would be news if any WASP in English Canada did not suffer from constipation.

Don't be bitter, August! We Anglos are not the ones who put guns to Quebec politicians' heads and forced them to be corrupt!

The longtime culture of corruption in Quebec is historical fact and can't be denied. If it bothers you then do something about it. Don't carp at us Anglos! You've already got Chambly beer and your parties are more fun! What more do you want?

The roof and concrete slabs in Olympic Stadium didn't fall down because of constipated Anglos.

[Argus]

Perhaps Quebec politicians taking money is not news in English Canada.

But then in French Canada, it would be news if any WASP in English Canada did not suffer from constipation.

Are you saying all French Canadians are bigoted anti-English separatists like you?

[August1991]

The longtime culture of corruption in Quebec is historical fact and can't be denied. If it bothers you then do something about it.

Is political corruption any worse in Quebec than anywhere else in the democratic world? You are playing with stereotypes - as was I in my reference to constipation.

IMV, the kind of compromise common in democratic politics occurs after much bluff and subterfuge. Invariably, many players look guilty if not foolish. This is true not only in Quebec.

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The numbers tell the story. Two polls - one published in La Presse, the other in the Quebecor newspaper chain - show the Liberals' fortunes in a nosedive.

The Angus Reid poll in La Presse shows support for the Liberals has slid 10 points in a month, from 33 per cent to 23. The PQ has shot up seven points, to 41 per cent from 34.

The PQ also holds a 30-point advantage over the Liberals among francophone voters. the survey indicates.

Worse, the online survey of 802 adults, conducted Tuesday and Wednesday, shows 58 per cent of respondents say they believe former Liberal justice minister Marc Bellemare - who is being sued by Charest for $700,000 - when he says the government was involved in influence peddling.

Only 10 per cent say they believe the government's claim that Bellemare's charges are baseless.

Six in 10 say they believe Bellemare when he says Charest knew about the influence peddling. Only a quarter of respondents say they believe the inquiry called by Charest this week - to be led by former Supreme Court judge Michel Bastarache - will bring out all the facts.

The Gazette

All of this would be serious if Charest were facing re-election next week but since Charest has another three years in his mandate, the polls today (and this scandal) are moot. (In fact, given the re-election of Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay last fall under similar charges, one wonders... )

And this point raises many questions, not the least of which is why Bellemare decided now - some six years later - to come forward with his allegations.

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that Charest is honest or a good guy. (It's ironic that his first bump with infamy also occurred because of the judiciary.)

Indeed, I happen to think that Quebec for the past several years has been ripe for an alternative political party. In the past, it is the nationalists who have changed formation - from the Conservatives to the UN to the PQ. It is hard to imagine another formation replacing the Quebec Liberal Party but I think that it might happen.

Edited April 16, 2010 by August1991

[punked]

Looks like the PQ right now are double the liberals. Even in three years it seems like a big gap to fill.

http://www.visioncritical.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010.04.15_Charest.pdf