The CAQ ranks behind the ethics commissioner to punish Claude Surprising

Photo Simon Clark
The Coalition avenir Québec intends to vote in favor of a rebuke to his former deputy, Claude Surprising.

Kathryne Lamontagne

Wednesday, 6 December 2017 10:01

UPDATE
Wednesday, 6 December 2017 10:09

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The Coalition avenir Québec intends to vote in favor of a rebuke to his former deputy, Claude Surprising, blamed by the ethics commissioner because of a conflict of interest and misuse of public funds.

• READ ALSO: Blamed by the ethics commissioner, Surprising denounces its employees

The national Assembly is scheduled to vote on Wednesday to decide the sanction that will be imposed on the ex-mp caquiste Claude Surprenant, who has served since January as an independent.

The ethics commissioner, Jacques St-Laurent recommended Friday that a reprimand be imposed on Mr. Surprising, for having “recklessly failed in his ethical obligations and his duty to contribute to the maintenance of the confidence of the population towards the members of the national Assembly”.

The mp defended himself in a room, on Tuesday, claiming to have been scammed and have been the victim of employees of evil.

This version has obviously not managed to convince his former party. “Nothing is all white, nothing is all black, there are a lot of nuances, it lacks a lot of details. In this regard, we have a report of the commissioner who says things that are shocking for us. It takes note of this and we will vote in favour of the report,” said the mp caquiste Nathalie Roy.

Blame

One accuses Claude Surprising to have hired and paid for by public funds, the president of the Commission of the future of the CAQ (CRCAQ), Yann Gobeil on Nadon. The work of the latter, however, was “substantially partisan nature,” said Me Saint-Laurent, stating that the CAQ has changed its rules to allow to pay the president of the young caquistes.

Mr. Surprise also gave contracts to his wife, which placed him in a conflict of interest and in contravention of the code of ethics of elected officials. It has also allowed an employee, Paulo Gervais, receive a double compensation: salary of a political attaché and a second salary as a teacher paid by the office of the whip of the CAQ.