Watch above: An Auditor General report has identified collusion in snow removal and garbage collection contracts in Montreal. As Elysia Bryan-Bayne reports, these sections of the report are being sent to UPAC for investigation.
MONTREAL – Montreal’s auditor general is once again highlighting concerns about collusion and corruption in city contracts. This time, it’s garbage recycling and snow removal contracts that are under scrutiny.
The auditor general found that seven waste management companies got nearly 60 per cent of the contracts between 2005-2013. Of those seven companies, four received 92 per cent of the contracts.
Montreal’s new inspector general, Denis Gallant, will investigate and present any findings to the anti-corruption squad.
“We said we’d protect Montreal and that’s why we have the inspector general,” says Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre.
Collusion and corruption in infrastructure spending surfaced in 2009. Investigations revealed those contracts were between 25 and 30 per cent higher than their actual cost.
Project Montreal leader Richard Bergeron says officials always suspected that the same was true for waste management and snow removal.
“We’ll know how much more we’re paying once the investigation is complete. To all the citizens out there, we will clean things up.”
The auditor general’s report recommends the city set up an awareness campaign to help curb collusion.
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