Quebec fails to follow through on Charbonneau recommendations, watchdog group says

A year after the release of the Charbonneau report, an independent watchdog group says the Quebec government hasn't done enough to curb corruption in the province.

The non-partisan committeeof lawyers,professors and political figureswas formed earlier this year out of concern the 60 recommendationslaid out in the report were not being acted upon quickly enough.

On Wednesday, the group issued a scathing report of its own.

It found that the province has acted on 15 recommendations, partially addressed nine othersand failed to act on 36including many aimed at cracking down on ethical breaches of politicians.

"Despite some progress, the work done to date is unsatisfactory. The government must be better,"said Martine Valois, a Universit deMontral professor, adding that the group will continue to keep tabs on the government.

Former Liberal MNA Gilles Ouimet, another member of the committee, said the government's inaction sends the wrong message.

"The attitude, when it comes to fighting ethics and corruption, the example must come from the top," he said.

Thursday will mark the first anniversary of the release of the 1,741 page Charbonneau report, the culmination of four years of testimony from construction magnates, cabinet ministers and alleged members of organized crime.

In her report, Justice France Charbonneau concluded corruption and collusion in Quebec's construction industry are "far more widespread than originally believed."

Charbonneau said the commission, which investigated the awarding of government contracts and influence peddling in the construction sector, found that organized crime had indeed infiltrated the industry.

At least one key recommendation has already been acted upon: the Quebec governmentcreated a new provincial watchdog for public contracts.

• IN DEPTH: A deeper look at the recommendations