The Minister of Democratic Institutions, Jean-François Roberge, will return to the charge with a new procedure to compel the Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec (DGEQ) to lift the secrecy that affects documents relating to the financing of the No camp during the referendum on sovereignty in 1995.
Mr. Roberge expressed his surprise on Wednesday, the day after a response from the DGEQ, Jean-François Blanchet, in which he explained that he still had to determine whether a publication ban could be lifted.
At the end of May, the National Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution asking the DGEQ to make public all the documents relating to the investigation of the commission chaired by Judge Robert Grenier, whose report was tabled in 2007.
Mr. Roberge was surprised, on Wednesday, by the response sent by Mr. Blanchet, which was tabled in the House on Tuesday.
“It is surprising, this decision of the DGEQ, not to immediately make the documents public. The motion we adopted was, in our view, sufficiently clear, it constituted an order from the Assembly. »
The Minister intends to renew the request by tabling a new motion which will be more binding, before the adjournment of parliamentary work scheduled for Friday.
“It seems that it was not clear enough, we will clarify things,” he said.
Jean-François Roberge affirmed that in his letter, the DGEQ itself suggests proceeding by law or by motion, specifying which articles of law to invoke, if they wish to obtain the documents more quickly.
“There is the law, which would be longer, more complicated and there is the motion which would be faster, simpler. We will proceed by motion between now and the end of the session. »
More details will follow.