It was the biggest secret out there: our roads are lousy because they were made that way on purpose.

We had our very only version of OPEC in Quebec but instead of oil, the product was asphalt.

Confirmation of the asphalt cartel came this week by way of the Charbonneau commission.

Four paving companies split up the territory to rig the bids.

But not only that, they used inferior asphalt in order to make more money.

So when people question why the roads are better in Ontario or Vermont?

Well there you have it, Quebec roads were designed to fail. And they succeeded in their failure quite well.

So what happens next? And what will be done to ensure this doesn't happen again?

We deserve good and safe roads because we pay for them.

Everyone must know there will be consequences and they will be severe, because you know what the road to hell is paved with.

 

Getting their man -- in Panama

That, coincidentally, is exactly the message Arthur Porter received this week in Panama.

The former head of the MUHC is suspected of pocketing over $20 million in the contract to build the English Superhospital.

He has not been found guilty of anything but the message is that a man like Porter, with his diplomatic passports, with his gold plated CV, can indeed be brought to justice. It's a strong signal.

What is equally important is to know this could have happened.

Who was minding the store? Did anyone turn a blind eye?

The Charbonneau commission, UPAC, and all the investigations in the world will not mean a thing if the penalty does not fit the crime.

 

SAQ is soaking Quebecers

Every time you go into an SAQ you are pretty much entering a tax collection office.

The SAQ is nothing more than a monopolistic cash cow for the government.

It buys product in huge amounts at huge discounts and then marks it up at hugely inflated prices.

Over a billion dollars in profit is forecast for this year; that's a lot of overpriced merlot.

In court this week, a Montreal man is trying to get a class action suit going.

He argues that the profits made by the SAQ contravene the Quebec Consumer Protection Act.

He gives the example of a bottle of wine the SAQ buys for $5.65 and sells for $16.10. Ouch.

But that cash cow has become a sacred cow as well and like Hydro Quebec, Bill 101 and cheap daycare it probably will never be touched.

That doesn't mean we can't have more competition; maybe some private wine shops?

Why can’t we order online from anywhere in the world without having to go through the SAQ?

We need change and that’s something I could drink to.

 

Bill 14 will fade away... for now

Bill 14 has passed second reading and now it will fade away until the fall.

We know where the Liberals stand, but I’m not sure about the CAQ.

They seem a little slippery on this, wanting it both ways…

In the meantime, some business leaders admitted this week that the PQ-invented language muckraking is hurting Montreal.

I agree.

The economy here is taking a beating and somehow I don't think it's a coincidence that it began sometime after last September, when the not-ready-for-primetime players took office.