QUEBEC CITY and MIRABEL – Jean Charest has a “clear conscience” in the case of Eddy Brandone, the Liberal supporter who was being investigated by the Sûreté du Québec when he met Charest in 2009.
“I don’t think they can say the same at Radio-Canada,” Charest added, taking a swipe at the news organization that published the report that threw his campaign on damage control mode Wednesday.
A Radio-Canada report said that the SQ killed surveillance on Brandone, the former secretary-treasurer of FTQ-Construction and a Liberal supporter, after he spoke with Charest at a ministers’ meeting with the Inuit community in Dorval.
Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault says the news about Charest and Brandone is “troubling.”
Legault added that he believes Charest did not order the SQ to stop watching the man but he thinks it’s important that the public be told who did.
“We need more explanations,” Legault. “We need to know who gave the order. It’s quite troubling.”
“As far as the (Radio-Canada) report is concerned, I think it’s troubling,” he added, indicating there is more to the story that we know so far. “You can’t say that it’s completely by chance that a police surveillance on someone was called off half an hour after Mr. Charest met with the person in question.
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“I accept what Mr. Charest is saying, we should trust him – he’s saying that it’s not him who gave the order. But t we should find out who gave the order,” Legault continued.
Brandone told Radio-Canada that he and Charest chatted for all of 30 seconds that day, but later denied talking to Charest at a subsequent interview. A source said Brandone was not invited to the event, and spoke to the Premier for two minutes.
The SQ is not commenting on the allegations, but said there was no political interference on this case.
Charest has repeatedly denied interfering with any police operations in his political career.
He cited an article in La Presse where an anonymous source in the SQ said the wiretap was killed because officers had gathered enough information.
Asked whether Quebecers should be concerned that their Premier is meeting people being investigated for suspected ties to the mafia, Charest said that it’s impossible to screen every person he meets.
“We meet thousands of people every day. Robert Bourassa was photographed with Mom Boucher. Does anyone believe that Bourassa wanted to take a picture with someone known to be a biker gang leader?”
He added that if anyone showed a lapse in ethics, it was Radio-Canada.
“There are retired journalists at Rad-Can who think the same thing,” Charest said, but did not name them.
The Premier will not pursue the news organization for damages, saying he’s focused on his campaign.
But Legault said Charest’s attack on Radio-Canada is not a good sign for the Liberal campaign.
“What I’ve learned in my political experience is that when a politician starts going after journalists it’s because it’s the beginning of the end,” he said
For her part, Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois told reporters in Chicoutimi that the situation “reeks of a scandal.”
“I’ve never heard anyone say before that a Premier had asked the Sûreté du Québec to stop surveillance. If it turns out to be true, it’s scandalous.”
Marois also berated premier Charest for his attacks on Radio-Canada, which aired the segment on Eddy Brandone’s ties to the premier Wednesday night.
“Sometimes we don’t necessarily agree with what you say or write about us, but it’s when someone feels cornered they blame the interlocutors or observers of the political situation.”
– With files from Catherine Solyom.
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