Another sponsorship ghost comes back to haunt Liberals

On Thursday evening, CBC came forward with very serious allegations regarding a possible kickback scheme involving engineering firm SNC-Lavalin and a well-connected Liberal insider.

“Radio-Canada’s investigative program Enquête has uncovered a money trail suggesting that almost $1.5 million in suspected kickbacks ended up in Swiss bank accounts of a former Federal Bridge Corporation boss, [Michel Fournier ], shortly after SNC-Lavalin was awarded a $127-million contract in 2000 to refurbish Montreal’s Jacques Cartier Bridge. “ - CBC, February 13th, 2013

Michel Fournier… Does that name ring a bell? It might be because he also made headlines during the Gomery commission on sponsorship scandal, when Groupaction executive Alain Renaud made serious allegations against him.

“Before [Alain] Renaud started working, for Groupaction’s profit, Jean Brault told him he contributed to Jean Chrétien’s election campaign, in 1993, for some 50 000$; a check of 30 000$ or 40 000$ to the name of notary Michel Fournier, in trust. At that moment, Michel Fournier was director general of the Liberal Party of Canada, Quebec section, and he was appointed as co-chair of the electoral campaign that led to Jean Chrétien’s election in 1994. Another 10 000$ was donated to the LPC, by Jean Brault, during a private financing cocktail held by ex-Senator Leo Kolber, as requested by Mr. Fournier” - Canadian Press, April 8th, 2005 [Translation]

Canadians have had enough of these old-line party tricks where public money only ends up helping some well-connected Liberal or Conservative.

Canadians deserve better.