17 years ago, Normand Lester and Robin Philpot published their book entitled The secrets of Option Canada, which displayed the shenanigans of this federal government agency and the advertising firms associated with it. The previous year, the duo had laid their shock work The Stolen Referendum.
In the political turmoil that followed the publication of their second book, the Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec (DGE) entrusted the former judge of the Court of Quebec Bernard Grenier with the mandate to investigate the activities of Option Canada. However, the investigation was conducted behind closed doors. You have to believe that the CEO was walking on eggshells: the Liberal government was led by an eminent figure from the No camp, Jean Charest. The character knew nothing of the “irregularities”, estimated the ex-judge, who exonerated him.
Not only did the investigation take place behind closed doors, but Me Grenier took things a step further by filing an eternity non-disclosure order. It’s a long, eternity, especially towards the end.
In retrospect, the reasons given by Ms.e Grenier appear very thin: he wanted to avoid the “risk of damaging after 11 or 12 years the reputation of people who have worked for the No camp in good faith”. If these people had nothing to reproach themselves for, where is the harm?
The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, took advantage of National Patriots’ Day to demand that the 4,500 documents and the accounts of the 90 testimonies that fed the investigation report be made public.
That we cannot know, almost 30 years after the facts, the whole truth about major infractions of Quebec’s electoral laws is contrary to “the foundation of our justice system and the functioning of our institutions”, believes the PQ leader. He is right. After all, Quebec is not a republic of bananas, although the Canadian yoke sometimes puts it in this position.
François Legault also demands that the evidence be disclosed, as does Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. The Liberals, for their part, are thinking. In his report, Mr.e Grenier indicates that his order does not apply to the CEO and that the latter has the authority to disclose the documents. Let the CEO do it, then.