Mais Non! Gambling at Rick's

The study has finally come out: there is significant corruption in the construction industry in Quebec.  Shocking, yes?  Non.  Given that it apparently costs 30% more to build stuff in Quebec, and that stuff tends to fall apart, we are not surprised. 

source: http://bullandbear.musonline.com/

I think we would not mind the corruption if the stuff was built to last.  But with heaps of infrastructure falling apart, including bridges, tunnels, overpasses, and water mains (this pic is of a mini-flood at McGill a couple of days ago), the corruption is not so amusing or tolerable.

Yes, corruption exists everywhere to varying degrees, but the level seems to be higher in Quebec.  Why?  Because (squirrel!) the political system is distracted from public service and towards nationalist issues.

Will the system be cleansed or at least taken down a few notches?  Maybe, but I doubt it.  The folks in power in Quebec have been there a long time, so they are quite implicated.  Same for the folks running Montreal.  Especially since the last policy statements from the opposition parties have been about language and not corruption.