7/29/2019 Canada Femme Fatale

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Canada

Femme fatale

Jun 19th 2008 | MONTREALFrom The Economistprint edition

Sex, lobbying and politics in Quebec

WHEN Maxime Bernier, a neophyte Conservative from Quebec, showed up to be sworin as foreign minister last summer with a beautiful brunette in a plunging dcollet, itgot him noticed. It also seemed to confirm the notion that Quebec produces a moredashing and dynamic brand of politician than the usual stodge. But now Mr Bernier'scompanion that day, Julie Couillard, has reinforced a less flattering stereotype: thatQuebec is a place where politics mixes uncomfortably with corruption and criminals.

Last month Mr Bernier was sacked after Ms Couillard, who had ended theirrelationship, said that he had left classified documents at her home. What made thisfatal for the minister was Ms Couillard's colourful past. Two of her former lovers wereinvolved with a motorcycle gang that in the 1990s waged a murder-filled campaign focontrol of Quebec's drug market. One of the men had been murdered and left in aditch a week before he and Ms Couillard were to wed. She married another biker (latea police informant), for whom her father grew marijuana. More recently, she lived wita third man with criminal ties who had bid on airport-security contracts (he later killedhimself). Her earlier consorts included other mobsters.

When she took up with Mr Bernier, Ms Couillard worked for Kevlar Group, aproperty developer seeking a contract for a C$30m ($30m) government building inQuebec City. It was a Kevlar boss who introduced her to Mr Bernier. Federal officialsconcede that she lobbied the former minister. She also lobbied Bernard Ct, a senioradviser to Michael Fortier, the public-works minister, another Quebecker. And yes, MsCouillard dated Mr Ct too. He has also resigned.

Ms Couillard chose not to accept an invitation to answer questions about herconquests from a House of Commons committee on June 18th. Stephen Harper,Canada's Conservative prime minister, originally chided the opposition as gossipy old

busybodies for dwelling on Ms Couillard. But the remarkable career of a one-womanwrecking crew (as one newspaper called her) may prove damaging to a governmentthat took power pledged to clean up sleaze. That applies especially in Quebec. TheConservatives won ten seats there in 2006 because of Liberal sleaze. Mr Bernier wastheir best hope of winning moreand thus endowing their minority government with majority. The new symbol of Conservatism in Quebec is Ms Couillard.