Option Canada - The Grenier Report

The Grenier Report

On January 13, 2006, Marcel Blanchet, the Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec, announced the appointment of Hon. Bernard Grenier, a retired Québec Court judge, as the investigating commissioner in charge of examining the documents on which the book The Secrets of Option Canada is based.

Grenier's report, without a mandate for laying charges, said Option Quebec spent $539,000 illegally supporting the No campaign during the 1995 Quebec Referendum on sovereignty. There were non-authorized expenditures under Quebec's strictures on referendums.

Grenier's findings undermined Philpot and Lester's accusations that $3.5 million in federal funds was given to the No campaign against Quebec's electoral laws.

Philpot and Lester called for a complete investigation.

Jocelyn Beaudoin worked for the Option Canada group during the 1995 Quebec Referendum. He working as Quebec's representative in Toronto, charged with defending Quebec's interests in Ontario, Western Canada and the three northern territories. He was suspended with pay after the January 2006 publication of Les secrets d'Option Canada. The book accused Beaudoin of using federal government money for the No campaign during the 1995 referendum.

Grenier found that Beaudoin was an Option Canada decision-maker. Grenier said the evidence contradicted Beaudoin's claims he was not involved with Option Canada after Sept. 7, 1995. Beaudoin instructed personnel, negotiated applications for subsidies, and received $24,000 for his expense account.

After the Grenier report was released, he resigned his position, which was accepted.

In Ottawa, Labour and Quebec Economic Development Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn defended Michelle D'Auray who Grenier concluded spent $8583 of Option Canada funds that should have been submitted for approval. D'Auray now serves as Secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada.