Montreal's municipal politics in moral decay, says Gomery

The man who made his reputation as head of the inquiry into the federal sponsorship scandal hopes to use that reputation to clean up municipal politics in Montreal.

John Gomery said Monday the city's political system is in a state of moral decay.

By accepting the position of honorary chair of the fundraising campaign for the city's smallest party, Projet Montréal, Gomery hopes to set an example of openness.

He said he will watch the party's financing and make sure none of the money comes from sources expecting something in return.

He said the party will publish the names of each person who donates more than $100 to the party on its website within 48 hours.

The president of Projet Montréal, Richard Bergeron, said recruiting Gomery is a major coup.

"He is one of the best-known Canadians, not only Montrealer or Quebecer, but Canadian. He was man of the year in 2004," Bergeron said.

In the city's last election, Bergeron was the only member of his party to win a seat.

Now, he said, he is confident his party will win the election.

Mayor Gérald Tremblay isn't impressed by Gomery's involvement in the election campaign.  

"I think that whatever he says from now on will be biased," Tremblay said.  

But well-known newspaper columnist Yves Boisvert of La Presse said Gomery is a star.

"He is the embodiment of integrity," he said.

Boisvert said Gomery's presence is likely to make ethics a major issue in the upcoming campaign.

Gomery said he has no intention of running in the Nov. 1 election.

"I think we shouldn't be electing 77-year-old people," he said.

His daughter Cym, however, is running for a city council seat on the Projet Montréal ticket.

Bergeron said the most his party will spend on the election is $500,000, and it will refuse anonymous donations of more than $25.

"Maybe that it will be only one-tenth of what Gérald Tremblay will spend in this campaign or one-fifth of what Vision Montreal will spend," Bergeron said. "But we have to learn to make politics differently, with less money. If not, we will stay in this ethics and corruption world that we are in right now."

He said provincial rules for political party financing should be made more stringent to help prevent corruption.

In 2004 and 2005, Gomery headed up an inquiry into allegations that the Liberal government of Jean Chrétien funnelled federal money to Liberal-friendly advertising firms in Quebec to help promote federalism.