Canada

Femme fatale
Jun 19th 2008 | MONTREAL From The Economist print edition

Sex, lobbying and politics in Quebec

WHEN Maxime Bernier, a neophyte Conservative from Quebec, showed up to be sworn in as foreign minister last summer with a beautiful brunette in a plunging dcollet, it got him noticed. It also seemed to confirm the notion that Quebec produces a more dashing and dynamic brand of politician than the usual stodge. But now Mr Bernier's companion that day, Julie Couillard, has reinforced a less flattering stereotype: that Quebec is a place where politics mixes uncomfortably with corruption and criminals. Last month Mr Bernier was sacked after Ms Couillard, who had ended their relationship, said that he had left classified documents at her home. What made this fatal for the minister was Ms Couillard's colourful past. Two of her former lovers were involved with a motorcycle gang that in the 1990s waged a murder-filled campaign for control of Quebec's drug market. One of the men had been murdered and left in a ditch a week before he and Ms Couillard were to wed. She married another biker (later a police informant), for whom her father grew marijuana. More recently, she lived with a third man with criminal ties who had bid on airport-security contracts (he later killed himself). Her earlier consorts included other mobsters. When she took up with Mr Bernier, Ms Couillard worked for Kevlar Group, a property developer seeking a contract for a C$30m ($30m) government building in Quebec City. It was a Kevlar boss who introduced her to Mr Bernier. Federal officials concede that she lobbied the former minister. She also lobbied Bernard Ct, a senior adviser to Michael Fortier, the public-works minister, another Quebecker. And yes, Ms Couillard dated Mr Ct too. He has also resigned. Ms Couillard chose not to accept an invitation to answer questions about her conquests 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-woman wrecking crew (as one newspaper called her) may prove damaging to a government that took power pledged to clean up sleaze. That applies especially in Quebec. The Conservatives won ten seats there in 2006 because of Liberal sleaze. Mr Bernier was their best hope of winning moreand thus endowing their minority government with a majority. The new symbol of Conservatism in Quebec is Ms Couillard.