Election round-up
By Robert Frank
www.thesuburban.com
Ste. Anne de Bellevue social media has been abuzz during the past few weeks with allegations about mayoral candidate Paul Chablo’s decade-long work in the real estate sector.
According to Quebec government documents, Chablo registered a business called M.V.P. Immobilier in 2003, seven years before the former Kirkland station commander retired from the Montreal Police service.
“I do sell brand new homes on a part-time basis in the Châteauguay region,” Chablo acknowledged in an interview. “There is no correlation with anything on the island of Montreal.”
Chablo also told The Suburban that he has never been a real estate developer or a real estate agent.
“To be one of those, you have to have a license,” he said, noting that he declared his real estate work annually to Montreal Police management until he retired as a police officer.
“Every year we had to advise our employer of any additional revenue that we earned,” Chablo explained. “I was allowed to perform that function because of the fact that I am not a developer and had no contact with municipal officials in any way. Because of that, I was allowed.”
Chablo deplored what he considers to be gratuitous mudslinging that has marred Ste. Anne de Bellevue’s election campaign.
“Five people have been very slanderous in their terminology,” he complained. “I have collected all their e-mail messages and [social media] postings. I will be bringing them to the attention of the Director General of Elections and my lawyer after the election.”
Chablo alleged that one of the individuals encouraged web surfers to deface his campaign advertising.
“The next day, a Hitler moustache appeared on one of my posters,” he recalled. “I will also be looking after the election to see if there is material for a criminal complaint.”
“I would have liked and am hoping that we can maintain a clean campaign based on the issues and respect,” he said, “and let the voters decide who the best qualified person is.”
Asked whether he would hold a public forum like tonight’s meeting convened by his opponent Paola Hawa at St. George Anglican Church, Chablo replied that he prefers one-on-one contact with Ste. Anne citizens.
“I respond to anyone who posts a question on my blog, and have visited every district door-to-door,” he said. “By the time citizens go to the polls, my goal is to have visited almost all the homes in the city.”
“With all the walking, I’m losing weight!” quipped the avid jogger, who teaches Police Technology at John Abbott College.
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