The PQ calls for the judgment of the Gallant Commission

The Parti Québécois (PQ) – who already demanded that the judge responsible for investigating the Fiasco Saaqclic, Denis Gallant, is recused because of his links with the president of the Treasury Board, Sonia Lebel – is now asking the work of the Commission because of a new “problem of appearance of conflict of interest”.

His spokesperson for justice, Pascal Paradis, brandished in the chamber on Wednesday a document indicating that the director of commission investigations, Robert Pigeon, worked Until recently For the Ministry of Public Security (MSP) as a strategic advisor.

The document in question-an over-the-counter contract concluded in July 2022 for a period of 24 months, which Radio-Canada was able to consult-provided that the former Quebec police chief offers theSupport for the implementation of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Police Reality at an hourly rate of $ 120.

However, Geneviève Guilbault – who was at the time holder of the MSP – may have to testify to the Gallant Commission as a minister responsible for the Quebec Automobile Insurance Company (SAAQ), as was François Bonnardel, who has passed from public security transport after the October 2022 election.

Brief, The Director of Investigations [de la commission Gallant]responsible for investigating in particular the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Public Security in his former functions, was paid, until very recently, by the government as a strategic advisorexplained Mr. Paradis on Wednesday.

This is too much for the PQ. The only thing to do from now on is to start again on new bases, free from appearance of conflict of interestsaid his chief, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who took over from his deputy at the Red Salon.

These new allegations are added to the fact that several members of the commission of inquiry into the management of the modernization of IT systems of the Saaq worked at the Charbonneau commission alongside Sonia Lebel, who was chief of it, and which could also appear before judge Gallant.

This is the case of a dozen people, including Robert Pigeon. Not to mention that the judge himself worked closely with Ms. Lebel as a deputy chief prosecutor of the Charbonneau commission, a proximity bond that pushed the opposition parties, whose PQasking the magistrate to reject himself.

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Denis Gallant also discussed these front issues in his declaration of opening last Thursday, admitting in passing that he deliberately Turned to former colleagues having, like him, worked on the Charbonneau commission in order to benefit from their expertise in public inquiry.

To ensure that there is no conflict of interest real or apparentoperating, procedures and conduct rules have been established, in particular to oblige members of the commission with links present or passed with persons referred to in the survey to make them known without delay.

This will be the case, for example, of all those who worked with Sonia Lebel at the Charbonneau Commission, said J. Gallant.

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These declarations, contrary to what was originally planned, will be made public by the end of the work of the Commission, he promised.

The liberal spokesperson for transport, Monsef Derraji, asked him to hasten, at least in the case of Robert Pigeon.

Did he declare that he worked with Ms. Guilbault? And did he declare that he worked with Mr. Bonnardel? In the case [contraire]I think it must be returned as soon as possiblehe pleaded in a press point on Wednesday.

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The answer was not long in coming: Robert Pigeon met neither Geneviève Guilbault nor François Bonnardel as part of his contract with the MSPThe commission spokesperson Joanne Marceau said on Wednesday.

The principal interested, who was teleworked for 90 % of the contractnever even met Mr. Bonnardel of his life, she said. As for Geneviève Guilbault, Mr. Pigeon has already met her, agreed Ms. Marceau, but only as a police chief of Quebec City, a position he left in 2021.

Mr. Pigeon declared his previous contracts with the government to the Commission during his hiringshe also said.

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Ms. Guilbault, for her part, said upon her arrival at the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers whom she had No personal relationship With the director of investigations of the Gallant Commission. I have never seen it again and I have never recovered it since I left public securityshe said.

Minister Bonnardel was much less talkative. I have fully confident in Commissioner Gallant for the rest of the workhe was content to tell journalists when he left Reunion.

This controversy is added to the fact that, according to Lejournal de Montréalthe secretary general of the Gallant Commission, Véronyck Fontaine, has recently worked closely with the ex-CEO of the Saaq Denis Marsolais, who was in charge when the Crown corporation launched Saaqclic in February 2023.

All of these revelations make Mr. Derraji perplexed. I think we have come to ask ourselves if we should not let the ministers self-interrogate themselveshe said in the tone of irony on Wednesday.

I was not aware says Legault

These debates were on Wednesday on Wednesday of the hearings of the Gallant Commission, which started on Monday and which should continue until the end of June.

In an overwhelming report tabled last February, the former general auditor Guylaine Leclerc established that leaders of the Saaq had hidden information with regard to the degree of preparation of the state -owned company and the costs relating to this project.

François Legault, during the study of the credits of his ministry on Wednesday, said that he was hopeful that the Gallant commission will come to the conclusion that he was not aware.

Items published in recent months in The duty and in Lejournal de Montréal nevertheless resulted in the resignation of the Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital, Eric Caire, who left his duties by explaining not to want to become a distraction for his government.

With information from Mathieu Papillon