Montreal Investigations -- Anything But Dull

We here in the U.S. like to think of Canadians as like us, but better. More honest, less greedy, more accepting of diversity, etc. And they pay for it by being dull.

In the realm of government ethics, this sadly isn't true. At least in Montreal. According to a recent article in The Economist, Montreal was not only notorious for its municipal graft back in the 40s and 50s, but there are now five ongoing investigations into suspected fraud, kickbacks, and favors. The descriptions of the alleged conduct is classic local government game-playing, focused on contracts and development.

The mayor's chief of staff allegedly organized the sale of municipal property for a fraction of its real value to a developer with a record of tax evasion, bribery, and issuing false bills.

A contract allegedly was awarded for about three times the amount it supposedly would have been if properly bid out. The head of the city council's executive committee at the time went on vacation on the contractor's yacht and then was given a job with another company owned by the contractor's owner.

The mayor, who has not been accused of anything, is getting touchy. After a local newspaper alleged that a city contractor was shaken down for a C$40,000 bribe, and called for the mayor to resign, the mayor said, "It's not up to La Presse to elect the mayor of Montreal, but the citizens." Yes, but the citizens seem to need a lot of help.

Robert Wechsler
Director of Research, City Ethics
rwechsler@cityethics.org
203-230-2548