Upfront (Ottawa's independent news, music, art, culture magazine)

     This is the “Give an inch, take a mile issue”. We’ve been known to adhere to this mantra throughout our meager existence and this issue is no different. Recently we’ve been given the proverbial inch and as a change of pace I’ve decided to take it the extra mile. I recently heard of a story that no other print media has jumped on, which is interesting only because of its prevalence.
     On June 25th, Quebec journalist Gilles Proulx interviewed a woman named Marie-Claude Monpetit on CHMP radio out of Montreal. Monpetit is a former immigration consultant who had faced several charges of fraud and money laundering but was recently acquitted. Proulx grilled Monpetit despite warnings from authorities that what he was searching for could find him in danger. What was he searching for? What is the biggest story that has wrapped parliament in a shroud? Well it’s that beautiful political time bomb named Julie Couillard… of the lost Maxime Bernier papers.
     Now here is where things get interesting. This is a story that if main stream print media sunk its teeth into could seriously affect the viability of our government both current and past. This is a scandal that has been untapped (unless something comes out in the next 24 hours) that should be front in center in every tabloid that we mistakenly call newspapers.
     Monpetit told Proulx, who is a highly respected Montreal journalist, that two clubs run by Julie Couillard and former American ambassador Gregory Hambley accelerated the process for obtaining citizenship or refugee status for exotic dancers and call girls brought in from Eastern Europe. Well La Di Da. Hambley used his influence with Citizenship and Immigration Canada to accomplish the feat. The women were hired to work at “members only gentlemen’s clubs” in Montreal, one of which being the Ambassador Club at rue St. Denis and rue Bishop.
     Why is any of this relevant to our government? The membership at the clubs included some interesting names including an assistant to former Martin Immigration Minister Denis Coderre and (gasp), Mr. ultra Christian himself, Stockwell Day. Day, who has the portfolio that over sees both CSIS and the RCMP, would seem to have plenty of reason to avoid an actual investigation into Couillard when his political viability could be compromised. These are all very shady details only because of Montpetit’s shady back ground. On the other hand, if there was nothing to the story would Proulx have gotten the call from authorities? If there were nothing to the story would Proulx have received a phone call that threatened Monpetit saying: “if they could not make her understand the law, that they would try other means.” Where there is smoke there is usually fire and this is a smoky situation.
     This is not an indictment of anyone. The only source has credibility issues. That being said why have we heard nothing from La Presse or the National Post about this issue? These two “news” sources have known about these allegations for ages yet nothing has been written. Name a major paper and you’ll have read nothing. Not a sentence. This is potentially a massive story. One that wins awards for news papers… yet nothing. . Are they waiting for an election in the fall to break it? You would think that a government that preaches National Security would be all over a compromise to its security Czar this grave. Apparently our mainstream media has given our mainstream political parties an inch and has now rolled over to give them the rest of the mile.

stay tuned,
Derrick Ruston.