Quebec will create ethics commissioner: Charest

Quebec's Liberal government is still committed to creating an ethics commissioner to address thorny conflict of interest issues, Premier Jean Charest said Monday.

"We will create an ethics commissioner," Charest said during a news conference at Montreal's Trudeau airport. "We've been discussing those questions with other parties at the national assembly for a while now."

The Quebec Liberal party promised an ethics commission during the 2003 provincial election campaign, but none has so far materialized. Charest said that's because the concept was part of a larger, "global" parliamentary reform.

But Charest insisted he is supporting the idea of an ethics commissioner, and will discuss the possibility of creating such a watchdog at the municipal level at a special forum being organized in May for Quebec mayors.

Last week, Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay raised the lack of any ethics commission at the municipal and provincial level.

Tremblay indicated it would have been useful to have such a commission to oversee municipal affairs when Montreal was handling its controversial water meter contract.

Tremblay's administration has come under fire for how it handled the $355-million contract to install water meters.

The former head of Montreal's executive committee, Frank Zampino, was reproached for his personal friendship with entrepreneur Tony Accurso, one of several businessmen who won the lucrative water meter contract.

Zampino vacationed on Accurso's yacht while the contract tender was open in 2007.