MONTREAL - A construction firm owned and operated by the Accurso family appeared Friday before the Quebec Construction Board in a bid to retain its business licence.
The Regie du batiment du Quebec is enforcing a new law which gives it the power to revoke a contractor's licence when the company is convicted of tax fraud.
Louisbourg Construction Ltd. pleaded guilty last December to defrauding the federal government of $4.1 million.
Tony Accurso, who was not present at the hearing, is fighting for his right to remain in business in the province.
"I have been instructed to challenge the request of the board," said Louis Demers, lawyer for Louisbourg Construction.
Another Accurso family firm, Simard-Beaudry Construction Inc., also pleaded guilty to tax evasion but has yet to appear before the board.
Louisbourg is also accused of 33 counts of failing to comply with workplace safety regulations.
An investigator told the board that Louisbourg and its affiliate companies have a rate of CSST violations double the industry average.
Louis Demers, the lawyer for Louisbourg, said the company is not contesting the fines from the CSST, but he argues that having already been fined for tax evasion, stripping its business licence amounts to a second punishment.
The firms combined have paid nearly $19 million in back taxes to the federal government, as well as an additional $4.1 million in fines.
Demers said that by removing the business licence, people who work for the company will no longer be able to earn a livelihood.
Both firms are involved in millions of dollars worth of projects across Quebec, including construction of the MUHC superhospital, the Viau Bridge in Laval, and the Highway 40/15 interchange along the Metropolitan Highway.
The hearing will resume in December.
