Both hands in the candy bowl. Once again, leaders were affected by a lack of judgment, a lack of consideration and a lack of respect for Montrealers.
People travel, they eat their fill in restaurants, they buy screens, headphones and gifts without any embarrassment, using Montrealers’ credit cards.
Yesterday we saw Dominique Ollivier publicly defend his integrity and justify his spending decisions on several sets. She seems to be shocked by the scandal that she didn’t want to admit just a few days ago. But was she shocked to see that she lacked judgment? No, she’s upset because she got caught.
She tried to explain to us why international relations were so important to the consulting office she ran and how important and necessary a 23 day trip on our backs to Mozambique was! It really is a long journey to consult and learn to advise.
The vast majority of Montrealers did not even know of the existence of this obscure advisory body, which evades all scrutiny, all accountability and apparently the basic rules of responsibility.
The explanations are so absurd that they seem insulting. And to make matters worse, the deafening silence of the current President of the Office and Mayor Plante in the face of this spending spree is giving us the middle finger.
While it was announced yesterday that travel would now be suspended, the very friendly Secretary General of the Office, who shared oyster platters with Ms. Ollivier in Paris on our backs, was in Brazil. Double middle finger.
Ms. Plante, aren’t you shocked? Aren’t you embarrassed? Aren’t you as offended as we are?
Stop hiding and face the music. Stop defending those who spend our money without explanation, without justification, with arrogance and contempt. Every day that passes without intervention makes you a silent accomplice in the eyes of Montrealers.
