Press releases published by Projet Montréal

The Honourable John H. Gomery announced today that he will be the honorary president of the fundraising campaign of Projet Montréal as the party prepares for the November 1 municipal election. “It’s the first time that I am associating myself with a political party,” the eminent Montrealer said. “I accepted to do so because I feel that it is crucial to break the ties between municipal politics and financial interests.”

According to Mr Gomery, codes of conduct being drawn up in Montreal and other cities in Quebec will only have a minor impact because they don’t attack the real source of the problem. “To clean up municipal politics, the spirit as well as the letter of the law must be respected when it comes to the financing of political parties,” said the retired judge. “For this to happen, the financing must be perfectly transparent and strictly limited to donations from individual voters. This is what is being proposed by Projet Montréal – a party I know well since my daughter Cym is its candidate in the district of Loyola.”

“It is with great pride that we welcome Mr. Gomery as honourary president of our fundraising campaign,” said Richard Bergeron, the leader of Projet Montréal and the party’s candidate for mayor of Montreal in the November election. “His involvement both upholds and promotes the values on which he built his career and underscores the integrity of Projet Montréal – a characteristic on which the party has built its name.”

Mr Bergeron and his team have always vigorously maintained their determination to have the spirit of the electoral financing law respected. Adopted in 1978 under René Lévesque, the law allows only private individuals to contribute to political parties. “The various schemes to get around this restriction are well known,” said Mr. Bergeron. “Covering up donations from businesses – often substantial and entirely illegal – by dividing them into smaller contributions and disguising them as private donations from the businesses’ associates, directors and employees; if necessary, running the money through the friends and family of the real contributors; setting the cost of entry to fund-raising activities, such as cocktail receptions, at $500 or $1000; accepting ‘anonymous donations’ of amounts substantially above the maximum allowed under the law; the tricks are many.” According to Mr. Bergeron, the methods used to corrupt the spirit of the law are so widespread that the ethical health of municipal politics in Quebec is probably worse today than it was before the adoption of the law.

Projet Montréal is taking a stand against these practices, which lead political parties to become indebted to real estate developers, law firms, engineering companies and other private businesses, which the political parties then have to pay back, at taxpayer expense, with public contracts. “In recent months we’ve seen where this kind of dependence leads,” said Mr. Bergeron. “The Sûreté du Québec has five different investigations into possible corruption at the City of Montreal.”

On the recommendation of Mr. Gomery, Richard Bergeron also announced today the appointment of Jacques Boucher as official agent of Projet Montréal for the 2009 campaign. Within a political organization, the official agent guarantees the full application and respect of the electoral law. A lawyer by training, Mr Boucher was law professor, secretary-general and dean at Université de Montréal. His position with Projet Montréal is unpaid and voluntary.

Five measures to help guarantee the integrity of Projet Montréal

The leader of Projet Montréal took the opportunity to announce five measures, to take effect immediately, which will guarantee that the party’s transparency and high ethical standards are upheld:

1.    Within 48 hours of receiving a donation of $100 or more, Projet Montréal will publish the contributor’s name on its website. This will allow any citizen to easily consult the complete list of significant contributors to Projet Montréal at any occasion leading up to the November 1st election – not simply afterwards.

2.    For every donation of between $250 and $1000, the official agent of Projet Montréal will take steps to ensure that it comes with absolutely no strings attached and from a completely disinterested source. In all cases where there is any doubt the cheque will not be cashed but rather returned to the would-be contributor.

3.    Projet Montréal will not hold any fund-raising activity which costs more than $100 to attend.

4.    Even if the electoral law allows a municipal political party to collect up to 20% of its private financing in anonymous donations, Projet Montréal will refuse all contributions of more than $25 for which an official receipt is not requested or issued.

5.    Although each party is allowed several million dollars in total electoral expenses, Projet Montréal will voluntarily limit its 2009 campaign spending to $500,000. Any donations which would take the party’s campaign finances above this ceiling will be returned to their contributors, along with a list of worthy and charitable causes which might benefit from the money.

“As head of the commission of inquiry looking into the sponsorship scandal, I was able to see how murky, sometimes fraudulent practices in political fund-raising damaged our public institutions,” said Mr Gomery. “One need look no further to understand why our political process is so stained and discredited. It seems to me urgent that we fight against public cynicism, which constitutes a very serious threat to our democracy. In these difficult times for Montréal, it is essential that its citizens again have confidence in the city administration. I believe that the measures announced today by Projet Montréal will allow for that confidence to be reestablished. As honourary president of Projet Montréal’s fundraising campaign, I personally undertake to oversee the scrupulous application of these measures.”

Support Projet Montréal

While calling for absolute integrity in the financing of political parties, Mr. Gomery acknowledged that they need money to get their message out. “By refusing to beholden itself to monied interests, Projet Montréal is sure to have to run its campaign with minimal financial resources. I thus urge all Montrealers of good intentions to support Projet Montréal to the extent that they can afford to do so.”

People interested in making a donation can send a cheque to Projet Montréal, 245 rue de la Gauchetière Est, Montréal, Québec, H2X 3Z4, or use a credit card and go through the party’s website, www.projetmontreal.org. All contributors must be Montreal voters and the maximum annual donation is $1,000. The provincial government provides a tax credit of 75% on the first $140 donated to a municipal political party. Thus a donation of $140 really costs the contributor only $35.

About Projet Montréal

Since 2004, Projet Montréal has offered the real possibility of change to Montrealers. Built on the principles of quality of life, sustainable urbanism and honest administration, Projet Montréal proposes the economic, democratic and demographic renewal of Montreal. Compared to the two old political parties and their leaders – who, as present mayor of Montreal and former municipal affairs minister, both have less than illustrious records – Projet Montréal is built on its inspiring yet realistic program as well as its solid base of members, supporters and candidates. Together they can put Montreal back on track. Website: www.projetmontreal.org

Biographical Notes for the Honourable John H. Gomery

Honourary President of Projet Montréal’s fund-raising campaign, November 1st, 2009 election

The Honourable John H. Gomery was born in Montreal West on August 9, 1932. He received a BA (1953) and a BCL (1956) from McGill University. During his studies in the Faculty of Law, he was an associate editor of the McGill Law Journal. He has also been Chairman of the Friends of the Library of McGill. Admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1957, he spent his years in private practice with the firm now known as Fasken Martineau. He was named Queen's Counsel in 1972 and appointed to the Superior Court of Quebec in 1982. He was also president of the Copyright Board of Canada between 1999 and 2004.

In February 2004, he was appointed head of the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities of the Government of Canada. In 2005, the Canadian Press declared him Newsmaker of the Year and Time named him Canadian Newsmaker of the Year. In 2007, upon his retirement from the Superior Court, the Canadian Bar Association awarded him the Hnatyshyn Prize in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the law.

Mr. Gomery is married to Pierrette Rayle, a judge at Court of Appeal of Quebec, and is the father of four children, Jeff, Cym, Sally, and Élisabeth. In 2008, the Honourable John H. Gomery and Madame Justice Pierrette Rayle received the F. R. Scott Prize for Distinguished Service in recognition of their contributions to law.

Biographical Notes for Jacques Boucher

Official Agent of Projet Montréal, November 1st, 2009 election

Jacques Boucher spent his career at Université de Montréal. There he taught law from 1960 to 1980, at the same time as he fulfilled administrative responsibilities such as associate dean of the Faculty of Law, associate dean of graduate studies, and vice-rector for planning. From 1968 to 1973, Mr. Boucher led the team charged with creating the searchable databank of judicial information known today by the name SOQUIJ. He also served on several committees for the revision of the Quebec’s civil code as well as various federal and provincial committees looking at computer use and the right to privacy.

Named general-secretary of Université de Montréal in 1980, Jacques Boucher was later dean of graduate studies from 1983 to 1990 and dean of the Faculty of Continuing Education from 1990 to 1997.

Once retired, Jacques Boucher was named chair of the first board of directors of the Centre sportif de l’Université de Montréal, responsible for transforming CEPSUM into an independently-operated athletics centre. He was later chair of the committee organizing celebrations for the 125th anniversary of Université de Montréal.

Jacques Boucher was a member of the Montreal Bar from 1960 to 1997. He has been on the ethics committee of Éducalcool since 2006.