The Quebec Municipal Commission (CMQ) is dismissing the complaint made following allegations that a toxic climate reigns at the capital’s city hall.
In a letter sent Tuesday to the cabinet directors of the four municipal parties who sit on the Quebec City Council, the CMQ indicates that “with the elements currently in [sa] possession, [elle] do not pursue[a] no further before this file.”
The Department of Municipal Integrity Investigations and Prosecutions was looking into “allegations of violent, aggressive, harassing actions on the part of municipal elected officials in the City of Quebec” and “the lack of support in the face of such gestures.”
An elected official from the official opposition, Councilor Alicia Despins, filed a complaint with the CMQ in February, saying she feared for her safety in the corridors of the town hall and in its underground parking lot. An altercation between two elected officials on the sidelines of a municipal council, at the beginning of February, had been one episode too many, she said, even though she had not herself witnessed the spat in question.
The Vanier-Duberger councilor deplored the scent of “violence, aggression and harassment” which floated, in her opinion, over the town hall.
“I think that the kind of litany of epithets that was given was not fair,” declared Mayor Bruno Marchand on Tuesday. I think there were some very exaggerated things.” In his eyes, maintaining a healthy climate at city hall depends on all parties, his own included, but he accuses the opposition of having played “a lot of politics” in this issue.
The advisor at the origin of the complaint believes that her approach constitutes “a victory across the board” despite the refusal to accept the decision by the CMQ.
“The objective of my approach was to have solutions to the toxic climate at city hall, it was to have progress and I can say, today, that we had it, she pointed out. We had an awareness, we really had an improvement in relation to the climate [et] compared to the attitude of several advisors. »
Following the public statement of his complaint, the director general of the City of Quebec, Luc Monty, quickly summoned the senior leaders of each party to calm things down. The City has also implemented mandatory civics training for elected officials.
Alicia Despins, who assured that the mayor had never behaved inappropriately towards her, accused him of “throwing fuel on the fire”.
“His reaction today is very political,” she lamented. She’s the only person who never took it seriously, she’s the only person who never wanted to act on it. »
The 29-year-old councilor added that the mayor had tried to “muzzle” her by suggesting his approach to the CMQ was based on political considerations. “He won’t succeed in crushing me like that,” concluded the chosen one. I am able to take some and then I will continue in this line. »