QUEBEC CITY — Following the release of the Charbonneau Commission’s report on corruption in Quebec’s construction industry, politicians, construction groups and organized crime collectives have responded with a courteous “no, thank you” to each of the report’s 60 recommendations.
The 1,741-page report’s suggestions include protection for whistle-blowers, creation of an independent authority and the insistence that contract bidding should not take place in the the Cosenza Social Club backroom. However, the $41.6 million investigation was not given any legal powers.
Referring to Charbonneau’s suggestion that penalties be increased for construction companies that break the law, SNC Lavalin Vice-President Charles Chebl said that the construction industry was “doing just fine, thank you.”
Added Chebl: “With the forty million it cost Quebec taxpayers for that report, we could have probably installed bathrooms in the Montreal mega-hospital.”
A union boss, speaking in anonymity, was unsure of how the document would be used.
“I think her recommendations are a great start to something else,” explained the anonymous union boss. “I’m just not sure what exactly.”
“–If you’ll excuse me, I have to go home and empty my socks. These $100 bills are starting to hurt my feet.” he added.
Former Montreal mayor Gérald Tremblay also had concerns with the report.
“While having a transparent way of making government tender for multi-million dollar contracts is nice in theory, I just can’t see it in reality.” commented Tremblay. “What, are we going to put a mayor in jail for doing business with organized crime?”
Even the Hell’s Angels responded to the recommendations in the report. Justice Charbonneau received a signed card from the biker gang which simply stated “Non, merci.”
Last to comment on the Charbonneau Commission’s report was the Liberal government of Premier Philipe Couillard. Upon receiving the report, Couillard thanked Justice Charbonneau for her “tireless work” and promised that a transparent government contract would be awarded for the shredding of the document.
