SNC-Lavalin didn’t invent payola culture

No fan of big business and multinationals am I, but enough is enough.

So, SNC-Lavalin got caught bribing Libyan officials while bidding on government contracts. What was it to do? In a world where payola is a way of life (and here I cite European and Asian entrepreneurs with the backing of their respective countries), what are so-called rule-following companies like SNC-Lavalin to do? Pack their bags and eschew all foreign endeavours?

The whole world, from First to Third World countries along with their multinationals, is corrupt. Is it Canada’s mission to convert these European and Asian multinationals and their governments whose very culture of corrupting officials is accepted procedure? SNC-Lavalin is now faced with disqualification from Canadian government contracts for 10 years. Why? For following accepted bribery practices in a country that is not even Canada? How fair is that?

Trudeau was stupid at best for interfering in the judicial process. He now finds himself, once more, in hot water, stonewalling like Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton and progressively rendering his position untenable.

Yes, rap SNC-Lavalin’s knuckles and fine them, for heaven’s sake, but leave international contracting be. I’m not aware of any other country, be it OECD or developing, that stymies its corporations’ business overseas thus.

Jacques Dufault, Orléans