Canucks: WI Pierre Laporte not murdered?

Let's say he isn't kidnapped, or that the CF finds him. What wasn't known was that at the time, the SQ was investigating him for ties to organized crime. During the 1970 Liberal leadership race, Paul Desrochers (Bourassa's Rove) cut off Laporte's cash flow from major donors, so he was forced to seek alternative sources of funding. Wiretaps recorded a Laporte lieutenant asking for cash from local Mafia dons, and also recorded the mob's wish that Laporte would become Justice Minister so as to relent the war on organized crime. Jean-Jacques Saulnier, the Montreal police chief (and brother of Drapeau's deputy Lucien Saulnier), was also bought and paid for by the Mob.

At the time of his death, Jerome Choquette (AG) had been brought into the loop and they were close to the next step of indictment. If this is publicly revealed, and Levesque plays his cards right, the Liberals will be vapourized come the next election, and you might get a Premier Levesque earlier than OTL. Perhaps the Unionists revive as the party of the mainstream federalist right.

*This all comes from the McKennas' authorized biography of Jean Drapeau.
 
Let's say he isn't kidnapped, or that the CF finds him. What wasn't known was that at the time, the SQ was investigating him for ties to organized crime. During the 1970 Liberal leadership race, Paul Desrochers (Bourassa's Rove) cut off Laporte's cash flow from major donors, so he was forced to seek alternative sources of funding. Wiretaps recorded a Laporte lieutenant asking for cash from local Mafia dons, and also recorded the mob's wish that Laporte would become Justice Minister so as to relent the war on organized crime. Jean-Jacques Saulnier, the Montreal police chief (and brother of Drapeau's deputy Lucien Saulnier), was also bought and paid for by the Mob.

At the time of his death, Jerome Choquette (AG) had been brought into the loop and they were close to the next step of indictment. If this is publicly revealed, and Levesque plays his cards right, the Liberals will be vapourized come the next election, and you might get a Premier Levesque earlier than OTL. Perhaps the Unionists revive as the party of the mainstream federalist right.

*This all comes from the McKennas' authorized biography of Jean Drapeau.
Oh me, oh my.

I don't remember the exact timeline of the FLQ crisis. Had Trudeau already imposed the War Measures Act? Certainly the murder of Laporte made the Act look more ... ?necessary? (at least to the rest of the country). I could see the FLQ being viewed in a less serious light, and Trudeau's authoritarian actions being viewed in a worse light.

If the Act was (?still?) imposed, that would lead to even worse hatred of the Feds, and give more of a push to the Indépendentistes.

No?



At the time, I thought the WMA was the least worst option available, and justified. I no longer believe that, for several reasons.
 
Yes, the WMA was imposed the day before Laporte's murder. This could mean a PM Bob Stanfield in '72, with possibly a majority and a quick end to PET's tenure at 24 Sussex. I don't see the Quebec Liberals recovering from this for over a decade, if at all.
 
With Trudeau out of office, the damage done to the Canadian Forces could have been mitigated, and perhaps a lot of the errors of "Unification" could have been corrected?
 
AHI: Unification had been completed under Mike Pearson in 1967-8, and reversing it would be akin to "unscrambling eggs". But yes, the CF would be much better equipped, there would be separate uniforms and ranks instead of generic tri-service green, and a few other things. Administratively, all three branches are still under one tree.
 
AHI: Unification had been completed under Mike Pearson in 1967-8, and reversing it would be akin to "unscrambling eggs". But yes, the CF would be much better equipped, there would be separate uniforms and ranks instead of generic tri-service green, and a few other things. Administratively, all three branches are still under one tree.
Really? I do remember bitching about the merger, but that wasn't something I paid attention to at the time. I remembered it as being under Trudeau (and so did the ex-Forces people I knew later who were still bitching)

Wow.

I guess Trudeau is just such a good lightening rod, and 'Mike' was so nice things don't stick to him, eh?
 

Lusitania

Donor
If Laporte does not get kidnaped then I do not think that Trudeau would of been as gun ho on enacting the War measures act. If he is still kidnaped and then rescued that would not of done anything against Trudeau. It would of been at least six months before any charges would of been laid.

When word gets to teh government and to Laporte about the upcoming charges what does he do?
 
Lusitania: How will who react? Bourassa will be in way over his head, as he often was during his first two terms IOTL. If they plumb this to its depths, all I can say is that a decade of more of PQ governance awaits come the next provincial election. Whether the Quebec Liberal Party survives in the long run is debatable. The Unionists had already imploded after Daniel Johnson's death in late 1968, so federalists will have a serious problem. Laporte might have to be put on suicide watch.
 

Lusitania

Donor
Lusitania: How will who react? Bourassa will be in way over his head, as he often was during his first two terms IOTL. If they plumb this to its depths, all I can say is that a decade of more of PQ governance awaits come the next provincial election. Whether the Quebec Liberal Party survives in the long run is debatable. The Unionists had already imploded after Daniel Johnson's death in late 1968, so federalists will have a serious problem. .

I think the answer to this questions is based on what happens as a result of what mr Laporte does. If he is till alive in 1 year I would be surprised. He may just die from another "FLQ attack". Stranger things have happened.

Laporte might have to be put on suicide watch.

I would either expect him to take his own life or have it ended for him with an attempt to implicate others "mafia" or "FLQ". What the outcome would be will depend what society learns and when.
 
Really? I do remember bitching about the merger, but that wasn't something I paid attention to at the time. I remembered it as being under Trudeau (and so did the ex-Forces people I knew later who were still bitching)

I guess Trudeau is just such a good lightening rod, and 'Mike' was so nice things don't stick to him, eh?

Pearson's original white paper was actually welcomed by the forces as it proposed an integrated administrative structure (and not an amalgamation or unification) which was seen as being required.

After the 63 election Hellyer became minister of Defense and his ego then demanded he make his mark which lead to bill C-234 (unification) coming into effect in Feb of 1968. Trudeau became PM in April of 68 just in time to take credit for the whole fiasco.
 
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