The PQ wants to force the UPAC and the SQ to testify

File Photo, Simon Clark
Pascal Bérubé, spokesperson of the opposition in public Safety

Annabelle Blais

Friday, 13 October 2017 00:00

UPDATE
Friday, 13 October 2017 00:00

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The Parti québécois wants to force the UPAC, the SQ, the Office of the independent investigations and the DPCP to testify to parliamentarians about their independence, next week.

These four agencies have refused the invitation of the deputies to come and rule on bill 107. It grants them more independence and makes the Unité permanente anti-corruption (UPAC), a police specialist.

Pascal Bérubé, spokesperson of the opposition in public Safety, does not hide his frustration. “It is unacceptable, it is unheard of, it is scandalous, loose-t-it. What’s the good of studying a bill, if all those that are relevant to question refuse to come ? “

So he wants to send them subpoenas to compel them to come and explain to the national Assembly, learned The Newspaper. It was sent on Thursday, the liberal mp and chair of the Committee on institutions, Guy Ouellette, a letter asking to discuss this solution. He must obtain a vote of the commission, where the liberals are in the majority.

Independence of UPAC

Mr. Ouellette has refused to answer our questions on Thursday. The opposition parties have already questioned the independence of the UPAC. Robert Lafrenière, head of UPAC, has himself publicly called on the organization to become a police force, full-fledged, independent of other police services, including the SQ.

However, according to his spokesperson Anne-Frederique Laurence, UPAC does not want to comment on the bill and prefer to leave the debate to the members. Yet, according to an e-mail dated October 5, obtained by The Newspaper, Mr. Lafrenière had himself confirmed his presence and that of four other employees of UPAC.

The SQ also

Same explanation from the side of the Sûreté du Québec. His spokesperson Martine Asselin noted that the SQ does not comment on the bills. However, the 6 September, the police had participated in the consultations for the bill that will prohibit police officers from wearing ” pants clowns “.

The Director of criminal and penal prosecutions (DPCP) is also withdrawn, but it will leave a memory, ” said spokesman Jean-Pascal Boucher.

Three other groups have also opted out, the Quebec city police, the trade union of the public service and the parastatal and the Commission de la construction. The PQ will not force them to participate.