INDEPTH: SPONSORSHIP SCANDAL
Gomery report: Key quotes
CBC News Online | November 1, 2005

About Jean Chrétien's lack of response to concerns about the program's management

"On December 18, 1996, in a memorandum to the Prime Minister, Ms. Bourgon [Clerk of the Privy Council] expressed concern about ministerial responsibility for funds allocated to the Unity Reserve on the basis of his signature. … Mr. Chrétien did not reply in any way to the memorandum."


About Chrétien's responsibility

"He chose to disregard this advice [from Bourgon] and, since he is directly responsible for errors committed by Mr. Pelletier, he must share the blame for the mismanagement that ensued."


On Paul Martin

"Mr. Martin, whose role as finance minister did not involve him in the supervision of spending by the PMO or [Public Works] is entitled, like other ministers in the Quebec caucus, to be exonerated from any blame for carelessness or misconduct."

About the role of Jean Pelletier, Chrétien's chief of staff

"Mr. Pelletier, for all practical purposes, assumed the role, functions and the responsibilities of a minister of a department charged with implementing the program."


About how Chuck Guité's immediate superiors viewed him

"In their eyes and those of everyone in the public service, he was in a special category, seemingly exempt from the usual reporting rules, and not obliged to conform to normal practices and procedures. Only one subordinate, Allan Cutler, dared to challenge Mr. Guité's authority and methods and, as a result, he was declared surplus by Mr. Guité."


About Guité's meetings with Jean Pelletier regarding which events to sponsor

"It is hardly plausible that he and Mr. Pelletier would have studiously avoided any discussion or mention of the important question of which agency would be hired to manage the event or project on behalf of the Government."


About Jacques Corriveau, a very close friend of Chrétien

"His testimony frequently conflicts with more credible witnesses. His motivation became apparent as the evidence unfolded: Jacques Corriveau was the central figure in an elaborate kickback scheme by which he enriched himself personally and provided funds and benefits to the LPCQ."

On Corriveau's accounting practices

"Obviously his accounting records would not be maintained in such a way as to document a corrupt practice. Persons participating in corrupt practices usually take great care to avoid documenting or recording their illicit activities."

On Chrétien's connections to Corriveau

"The absence of any evidence of direct involvement in Mr. Corriveau's wrongdoing entitles both Mr. Pelletier and Mr. Chrétien to be exonerated from blame for Mr. Corriveau's misconduct. But they are to be blamed for omissions."


On the responsibility of the advertising firms

"All of the agencies [named in the report] contributed to the financing of the Liberal Party of Canada. Whether legal or illicit, there was at least an implicit link between the contributions and the expectation that the government contracts would be awarded."


About Jean Brault

"Mr. Brault sought to purchase political influence to obtain more lucrative sponsorship contracts. These motives were improper. The behaviour of the representatives of the LPCQ [Joseph Morselli and Beryl Wajsman] was equally improper and blameworthy."


About Groupaction contributions to the LPCQ (the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party of Canada)

"An illegal and unrecorded campaign contribution of $50,000 was made to the LPCQ by Groupaction by means of false invoices."

About Alain Renaud, who had an informal agreement to help Brault obtain government contracts

"There can be no doubt about the direct relationship between the sums paid by Groupaction to Mr. Renaud's company and the contribution by the latter to the LPCQ."


On Alfonso Gagliano's role

"Mr. Gagliano became directly involved in decisions to provide funding to events and projects for partisan purposes, having little to do with considerations of national unity. … Mr. Gagliano must accept responsibility for the actions and decisions of his exempt [political] staff, including Pierre Tremblay, who served as his executive assistant [and replaced Guité], and Jean-Marc Bard."


On the role of deputy minister Ranald Quail

"He abdicated his responsibility to control, direct and oversee the actions of officials in his department. … If Mr. Quail did not take steps to inform himself of what was going on, he must accept the consequences of irregularities that occurred. … In fairness to Mr. Quail, he was, in 1996 and 1997, very busy with the enormous problems associated with program review."


On ministerial responsibilities in general

"The minister should give sufficient directions to the deputy minister so that the latter will be able to properly supervise the actions of the subordinate personnel. Willful ignorance will not absolve a minister from responsibility for failures within the department."