SPONSORSHIP SCANDAL
                                                                                                          DEVELOPED BY: Alex Ng

The Federal sponsorship scandal was headed by many of Canada’s most powerful and influential politicians and companies. The scandal which began in 1995 was the Liberal government’s response to counter Quebec separatism during the 1995 referendum. Proceeding the initiation of the investigations in 2004, revealed illicit and illegal activities involving many major politicians. Without the permission of the public, the government exploited and mishandled public funds for the use of advertisement in Quebec.

There were many parties involved, including two PM’s of Canada: Paul Martin and Jean Chrétien, supported by Alfonso Gagliano (which was the Minister of Public Works and was in charge of the program at that time), Jean Pelletier (Prime Minister's chief of staff, later head of VIA Rail, he was accused of misusing sponsorship deals), Chuck Guité (Bureaucrat in charge of the sponsorship program and later he was arrested for fraud by the RCMP) and many others.

Historical Importance of Issue (impact on Canada; effects such as economic, social, political etc.)

The Federal sponsorship scandal brought many issues and controversies to the political, social and economical fronts in Canada. The Liberals have been plagued with controversies ever since the scandals, which has led them to their defeat in the 2006 election. The scandal has torn Canadians apart and brought distrust to many Canadians. Many have argued that the sponsorship scandal, originally intended to encourage Canadian nationalism in Quebec, has done exactly the opposite and instead, encouraged separatist forces in Quebec. The sponsorship scandal saw the misuse of the millions of dollars which were part of public funds. Overall, the sponsorship scandal which was instigated in 1995, has caused many negative impacts and issues politically, economically and socially.

In 2004, some important dates:

February 10 — Auditor General Sheila Fraser's report reveals up to $100 million of the $250 million sponsorship program was awarded to Liberal-friendly advertising firms and Crown corporations for little or no work.

March 1 — Pelletier is fired.

March 5 — LeFrançois is fired.

March 12 — Vennat is fired.

May 10 — Jean Brault, president of Groupaction, and Charles Guité arrested by the RCMP for fraud in connection with the sponsorship scandal.

May 28 — Alfonso Gagliano launches a lawsuit for $4.5 million against Prime Minister Paul Martin and the federal government for defamation and wrongful dismissal claiming that he has been unfairly made to pay for the sponsorship scandal.

ARTICLE CRITIQUE