My first public comments following my resignation

On June 25, 2008, I made my first public comments in front of about 1000 people in Saint-Georges-de-Beauce on the events that led to my resignation as Foreign Affairs minister a month earlier. This is a transcript of my speech, which you can also watch on this video clip (it’s mostly in French, with some parts in English).

Dear friends,

Thank you for being here this evening. It will not surprise you if I say that I have just gone through some difficult moments.

To overcome hardship, nothing is more crucial than the support and the trust of people around you. I’m thinking about my family, my friends, my staff, and my colleagues in the House of Commons – many of whom are here with us this evening. I’m also thinking about our Prime Minister, and of course about you, my fellow Beaucerons.

I was very touched by the support and the trust that you have shown me. This is what helped me get through this difficult period. And believe me, for this, I will always remain grateful.

I found it necessary to withdraw to a quiet place for some time to reflect upon what has happened and to think about my future. Today, more than ever, I am convinced of the meaningfulness of my commitment to represent you as Member of Parliament for Beauce.

When I made the jump in politics, I told you I would go to Ottawa to defend our Beauceron values: individual freedom and responsibility; integrity; and a spirit of enterprise.

These principles find a particular echo here in our region. They are also universal values. Values that underlie our very civilisation and that are shared by millions of Quebecers and Canadians. Values that have made this country a peaceful and prosperous place where life is good.

These are the values that have guided me while carrying out my duties in Ottawa. They are also the values that have shown me the way during these difficult times. I take full and sole responsibility for my actions.

As I wrote in my letter of resignation, I became aware on the evening of May 25 that I had left behind classified government documents at Mme Couillard’s residence. That was a breach of the principles of confidentiality that apply to members of the Cabinet. I accepted the consequences applicable within our parliamentary system and I resigned from my position as minister.

I learned in a rather brutal fashion that in politics, the line between private and public life is very thin.

The events of the past weeks have raised many questions in the media and among Canadians. I can now answer some of them. But I still refuse to publicly address the details of my private life.

Did Mme Couillard tell me about her past relationships with people involved in organized crime? The answer is no. She did not tell me, and nobody else ever did, in whichever capacity. I only knew about her past what she willingly told me.

I was only made aware of rumours regarding Mme Couillard’s past last April 20, that is, two and a half weeks before these information were made public. At the time, I was no longer involved with Mme Couillard.

Now, about the documents.

The documents were briefing notes, in preparation for the NATO summit, held in Bucharest on April 2nd and 3rd. The only moment I had these documents with me while being at Mme Couillard’s home was when I came back from Bucharest, on April 4th.

These briefing notes were not sensitive enough to be bar coded so that one could monitor them and notice their disappearance. This explains why the fact they were missing did not set off any alarm in my department. For my part, I did not notice that they were missing and I do not recall misplacing them.

Prior to my resignation, I asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to conduct a thorough review of the situation. On Monday, I met with officials in charge of this review and I answered all of their questions. Their findings will be made public shortly.

I would like to take this moment to tell my family how sorry I am that their lives were so disrupted by this whole situation. They have read and heard all sorts of things during the past couple of weeks. But throughout all of this, I acted with utmost integrity and responsibility. These values are at the heart of the Beauceron identity.

I chose to enter politics in 2006. Today, I do not regret making this choice. I will never regret making this choice. I am very proud of what I have accomplished as both Minister of Industry and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

While at the Department of Industry, we carried out, among others, what some observers consider to be the most important reform of the telecommunications sector in several decades. This reform brought more competition, more choices and lower prices for Canadian consumers.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs, I promoted human rights, democracy and the rule of law everywhere I went. These are the foundations of Canada’s foreign policy.

We also set in motion a far-reaching reorganisation of this department. This reorganisation will increase the number of employees posted in our embassies across the world, while reducing the number of civil servants in Ottawa. As a consequence, Canadians will get better service, here and abroad.

Today, I choose to carry on with my mission: to represent with passion the people of Beauce in Parliament. In the entrepreneurial culture that is ours, when we face hardship, we roll-up our sleeves and we get back to work.

I can’t promise you I will become perfect. But I believe that I learned enough throughout this ordeal to become a better person. I will continue to represent you with pride and energy.

Together, we shall defend these principles of individual liberty and responsibility that we believe in. Together, we shall defend them to ensure that they continue to have a positive impact on Canadian politics. Together, we shall defend them so that we and our children can live in an even freer and more prosperous society.

Thank you!

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