UPAC may need a rebrand to restore trust, says director

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The image of UPAC, Quebec’s anti-corruption unit, has become so tarnished over the years that the force’s director said Tuesday that he is inclined to change its name, saying a rebrand could restore public confidence in the 10 year old squad.

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UPAC commissioner Frédérick Gaudreau made the comment when announcing the unit’s annual report.

From the beginning, Gaudreau recognized that it would not be an easy task to restore the image of the unit, although he added that it would be possible if he was given time to make the changes he believes necessary for the UPAC to function properly.

But is renaming the drive a means of restoring its reputation?

“It’s a question I ask every day,” Gaudreau said, adding that he would be open to the idea if the government deemed it necessary to rebrand the unit or even “reformulate” its mission or mandate.

Despite the many problems and failures of recent years, Gaudreau believes that there is still a need for a police force specialized in investigating corruption and fraud in the public sphere.

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However, Gaudreau deliberately declined to provide details on the Mâchurer investigation, a never-ending investigation into the funding of the Quebec Liberal Party that has not resulted in arrests but many media leaks, nor in the most recent reports that two UPAC investigators were relieved of their duties after a judge dismissed a corruption case against the former Terrebonne mayor.

Last June, Gaudreau had to present a public apology to the MNA and the former officer of the Sûreté du Québec, Guy Ouellette, for the unjustified detention of the latter by the UPAC in 2017.

Gaudreau said he understood the public’s impatience over why operations like Mâchurer, which he described as “the elephant in the room,” remain active. However, he only explained that the investigation was “extremely complex” and refused to set a time frame for the results.

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When he was appointed UPAC director in 2019, Gaudreau said that one of his goals was to regain public trust.

Prime Minister François Legault later said that the government had given UPAC the means to hire staff and expected “results in the next few years.”

Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault said the unit should focus more on its role than its brand, and asked UPAC to prioritize communications with the public.

Dominique Anglade, head of the Quebec Liberal Party and the official opposition, said a name change would be nothing more than “cosmetic” and called instead for concrete actions to improve UPAC’s performance.