"Thank You, Goodbye"

Most of those whose judgement and bankrupt ethics have been called into question by testimony given to the Quebec enquiry into corruption in the construction industry have indulged in outraged denial that they could ever be suspected of being involved in indulging their illicit penchant for graft.  Undoubtedly because it was so rampant, so well entrenched and so remunerative, the allure of opting in to the take was simply irresistible.

For most, in fact, resistance though an option was not nearly as attractive as the prospect of feathering their nests with that filthy lucre that resulted simply from being accommodating.  The fact that such accommodation was immoral, corrupt and bilked the taxpayer (not only those paying taxes in Quebec but in other provinces as well, where transfer payments helped prop up the corrupt construction practises) seemed irrelevant.

From elected officials, to their political parties at all levels, and including civil servants whose authority was compromised - to aid and abet ongoing and monumentally profitable criminal activity, much co-operation went on behind the lines.  The amazing thing about it all was that it was fairly well known in an underground kind of way.  Reporters in the province have been writing about it for a long time.

And there was an almost openly wink-wink attitude among those who should have been alarmed at the practise, but felt more or less relaxed about it.  For one thing it was so well entrenched, and so widespread that it would have been difficult and awfully messy, let alone embarrassing to root out.  Those not involved would be besmirching colleagues who were heavily involved, and birds of a feather famously stick together.

And then, along came former construction boss Lino Zambito, who had experienced plenty of episodes of demands from all corners of government and industry insiders; his concern was simple enough; he wanted contracts from the City and the Province and if he played it straight up, well forget those contracts and prepare to go out of business.  Old-fashioned palm greasing at a new-fashioned rate of 3% here, 2-1/2% there, 1% over there was costly, but he was getting business.

One individual who has not mired himself in denial is a one-time chief city planner who prepared plans and budgets for public works projects.  He was familiarly given the sobriquet of "TPS": Taxe Pour Surprenant (Tax for Surprenant).  And Gillers Surprenant availed himself of about $600,000 in profitable accommodation over the years he was employed by the City.

For example, Construction F. Catania successfully bid $500,000 for a contract meant to be costed at $250,000.  "The people who keep us from eating, we shunt them aside", Mr. Catania is said to have commented to Mr. Surprenant.  Shunting aside the owner of a construction company is one thing, how do you shunt aside a public servant?  Generally, it's the public servant whose decisions can be critical to being awarded contracts who shunts aside the contractor....

In any event, Mr. Surprenant has given the enquiry the impression that he was a reluctant partner in these criminal activities.  "You take the envelope, you put it in your pocket and it's 'thank you, goodbye'.  You don't anticipate what else can happen down the road", said the ever-so-unhappy Mr. Surprenant, who found all those Mafia-inspired kick-backs very handy personally.

Investigators managed to identify some 90 contracts where Mr. Surprenant was able to obtain his personal cut over the years.  An ongoing Teddy Bear's picnic until Mr. Surprenant left his position with the City.  "I never bought a condo.  I never bought a boat", he said, as though that made a difference.  He did spend a whole whack of money that was never lawfully his, though.

And in August, investigators breathing hot on the nape of his neck, Mr. Surprenant handed over all he had left of his ill-gotten gains - $122,000 to the commission investigators.  "I was very glad to give back that money, to be rid of it", he said.  That's how it goes, right, you take the money, and it's thank you, goodbye.  And then when it becomes expedient, you hand back whatever's left.

And thanks for the good time.