Montreal mayor calls for removal of public consultation office president

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said the president of the city’s public consultation office should be fired and the office itself should be put under trusteeship by the city.

This comes the same day that the president of the OCPM, Isabelle Beaulieu, and her predecessor, Dominique Ollivier, now former president of Montreal’s executive committee, were at hearings before the city’s permanent commission on finance.

“Making sure that the funding is being under another type of control because right now there’s a trust issue let’s let’s put it this way and as for Madame Beaulieu I will be recommending to I will recommend to remove her,” said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.

Both attempted to clear their records after alleged questionable expenses within the OCPM were brought to light by an investigation by the Journal de Montreal and TVA Nouvelles, including an alleged $350 oyster dinner.

Ollivier said she always acted properly. While Beaulieu admitted to the mistake of expensing $900 headphones

The mayor says she will recommend freezing the funds of the OCPM.

“We will continue to pay the salary that’s important and I think people need to hear that especially people that working at the OCPM doing a good job but at the same time there will be no more funding no more money going to a OCPM without us the executive committee looking into it and making sure that it’s reasonable and also so for example if there’s some consultation coming up they will have to come up with a budget that we will agree with,” said Plante.

At Monday’s city council meeting, Plante says she will recommend city council put OCPM under trusteeship and fire Beaulieu.

The mayor says they will soon appoint a new president. But the city’s official opposition wants to see reprisals against Ollivier – who is staying on as a city councillor in Rosemont.

“I’m asking Plante to exclude Ollivier from Projet Montréal caucus,” says Aref Salem, leader of Montreal’s official opposition, Ensemble Montreal, “Ollivier has lost the trust of Montrealers. The administration has a responsibility to retain what little credibility it has left. It’s the only option.”