Centre des congrès in Montreal and Quebec: CAQ wants an investigation into the awarding of contracts

Alain Laforest

Wednesday, February 7, 2018 18:17

UPDATE
Wednesday, February 7, 2018 18:20

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The Coalition avenir Québec has sent a letter to the auditor general of Quebec calling for an investigation on the awarding of contracts, food services at the Québec city convention Centre and the Palais des congrès de Montréal.

In the document, and that VAT News has obtained a copy, the CAQ writes that the two companies in the State have not complied with the rules of awarding contracts through the renewal of agreements without going through the bidding process.

In its request for investigation, the CAQ points out that management contracts in Quebec has been the subject of an auditor’s report in 1998 and, at the time, we called on the government to comply with the regulations on contracts.

“Since its inception, the Centre des congrès de Québec never went to tender for the award of the contracts for the services of caterers, which violates the law, and that, for me, this is unacceptable”, ignites the member of the CAQ Eric Cairo.

“For us, he adds, that during its duration, the contract is exclusive is not a problem, it is the fact of not going out to tender, which is questionable.”

The exclusive service catering to Quebec is provided by Capital HRS and Capital Catering to the Palais des congrès de Montréal, two companies which belong to members of the family Tsatas.

The CAQ writes in his complaint that the officers of Capital Catering and its partners reportedly paid between 2000 and 2012 more than 100 000 dollars as a contribution to the QLP.

“The family Tastas! It is known that they are big donors to fund election liberal,” emphasizes Éric Caire of the CAQ.

In November 2017, almost at the same time as the request for access to information of the CAQ has been made to get the contracts of the caterers, the Tourism minister Julie Boulet wrote to the CEOS of the Crown corporations of Quebec and Montreal, that it would be desirable for the renewal of the contracts to proceed by call for tenders in order to respect the principle of competition.

She adds that they are not subject to the law because their budget is not voted by Parliament, but that it would be best to do.

No question of tendering

The president and ceo of the Société du Centre des congrès de Québec does not intend to go to tender. When TVA Nouvelles asked him if he would be tempted to go to tender, his response left no door open.

“Not at all! exclaimed Pierre Michel Bouchard, president and CEO of the Société du Centre des congrès de Québec. I tell you quite frankly, because of the particular nature of this business, what I’m having is that I’m going to have American or French.”

The leaders of Capital HRS are limited to point during an exchange: “For our part, we are pleased that the convention Centre renews its trust towards our company, a business relationship that is based on a long history of excellence, quality and satisfaction”, they write.