The Gazette from Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 4

BEST COPY EARLY EDITION THE GAZETTE, MONTREAL, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2004 Cloutier Concert! plan slammed FROM PAGE in if 'if XL)' I said Dominique Raptis, a worker at the Chateaugy branch of the Centre d'ajjje et de prevention d'assagts sexuels. "It's like another form ofSc-erting control over his vicffln to buy her silence," she saiJJ Viau, the law professor, sgys she had a lot of trouble wrth the defence's inventive sentencing alternative. i "Some people say herojn consumption is a victimlejs crime. I don't subscribe Jo that," she said. "But in terms of the potential danger a person who takes drugs poses Jo the public, and someone wflo sexually assaults children) -there's no comparison." Grey, however, said tie judge must consider all the options.

"Sentencing is a vety subtle thing. If very carefufly tailored to take into account both the offence and the offender," he said. "So it may have some pertinence and you can't simply exclude it in advance." Cloutier publicly apologized "from the bottom of my heart" on Wednesday He alio wrote a letter delivered to bis close associates the day of guilty plea. The letter was tained and published by Journal de Montreal "I should have been able to control my demons and ray emotions. It's true that we fill from on high," Cloutier wrcje in the letter, which he sajd took all his courage to pen.

'lf CONTINUED FROM Al Society is coming to terms with the same issues Quebec Court Justice Robert Sans-facon must weigh before he hands down a sentence on Dec 20. "Is the fact (Cloutier) compensated his victim a sign of remorse or an attempt to buy her silence?" asked Louise Viau, a Universite de Montreal penal law professor. "Only the judge has all the information todecida" Prosecutor Josee Grand-champ is seeking a five-year prison term for Cloutier for molesting and raping a girl from the age of 11 and forcing masturbation, fellatio and sexual touching on a child of unknown sex and between the ages of 12 and 17. But Cloutier's defence team pointed out the known victim, now 35 years old, was not offered money-she askedfor it Lawyer Sophie Bourque suggested Cloutier serve two years less a day in the community and organize three annual benefit concerts to help crime victims like guitarist Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones did for the blind after he was busted for heroin possession in Toronto in 1979. Victims' rights groups shook their heads at that idea.

"What would it do? It would show there's one justice system for the rich and one for the poor," said Claudette Vandal, a spokesperson for the Centre d'aide et lutte contre les aggressions a caractere sexueL The money must be viewed as part of the sexual abuse, If 0 PHOTOS: JIM YOUNG REUTERS At a price: By pushing Parrish out, Prime Minister Paul Martin is reducing his shaky minority in the Commons. Quick exit: Carolyn Parrish left town straight after she was sacked from the Liberal caucus. She's expected to speak in her riding today. you decide you don't wish co talk to me ever again, understand." ahanes thegazette.canwest.com show go on The must Parrish Behaviour demeans others: Martin Company Cloutier founded is thriving-under new management Talking from the hip Some of Carolyn Parrish's notable quotes: On Prime Minister Paul Martin "I have absolutely no loyalty to this team." -November 2004 "If he loses the next election and he has to resign, I wouldn't shed a tear" -November 2004 On the 2004 Liberal election campaign 'A comedy of errors like the Keystone Kops running 2004 On President George W. Bush "He is a war-like man." -November 2004 Referring to Bush's state of the union address) "Dramatics of the worst degree.

"-January 2003 On Bush's visit to Ottawa later this month I (will) not be heckling, nor (will) I be making faces. -November 2004 On herself "I am not a monster lady." -November 2004 "If you're colourful and can speak concisely, you're going to be quoted." September 2004 "My mother yelled at me" (for using the term bastards in "I opened my mouth, I inserted my foot, I wiggled my toes." (commenting on her bastards remark on the Mike Bullard Show) -March2003 To Prime Minister Jean Chretien "I told him that I had served my first term loyally on the backbenches and expected a position of responsibility in the next Parliament" -1997 On Americans for re-electing Bush "Completely out of step with most of the free world." -Novem-ber2004 "Coalition of idiots." (referring to those who support missile defence) -August 2004 "Damn Americans. I hate those March 2003 COMPILED BY KIRSTEN SMITH, CANWEST NEWS SERVICE NICOLAS VAN PRAET THE GAZETTE Disgraced star-maker Guy Cloutier may trapped in a "social prison" as his lawyer put it, but the entertainment company he founded is thriving, the firm's representatives insisted yesterday Doubts about the future of Guy Cloutier Communications Inc. surfaced immediately in March after Cloutier was charged with sexual assault. They were cast again on Wednesday, when he pleaded guilty to molesting two children.

But Cloutier has already taken a vital step to save the recording and production house he started he sold it. And so, just as Martha Stewart began serving her sentence at a minimum security prison on Oct. 8 to try to push away the cloud depressing Martha Stewart Omnime- "He put himself out of a job." Lawyer Sophie Bourque dia shares, Cloutier distanced himself from his business. He quietly sold the firm to daughter Veronique in July and transferred management to her. The name was changed to Novem Communications a reference to the latin numeral nine, Guy Cloutier's lucky number.

Cloutier had always planned to hand the 35-year-old 'private company over to his daughter, said his lawyer Sophie Bourque. He just didn't think it would happen so abruptly "He did everything to prevent his business from being destroyed, including withdrawing from all activities," Bourque said. "He put himself out of a job." Cloutier is credited with spawning Quebec's artistic scene from modest beginnings to major hits by driving the talents of singers like Nathalie Simard and later producing popular musicals such as Don Juan. Last year, taxpayer-funded Telefilm Canada gave his company $2 Bullion for sound recording. An Industry Canada database lists the firm's totjd annual sales at between $5 mjl-lion and $10 million.

The company has never officially confirmed any revenue figures. Public relations expert Claude Bedard predicted lafct March that artists associated with Cloutier would abandon him and new artists would be reluctant to sign on. He said sponsors associated with bis TV projects would also rethink fteir involvement But yesterday, some on the Novem payroll said the business has not been damaged since the charges were laiS, even if emotions were ruh-ning high among employees. And they said it's too soon to see what long-term effect Cloutier's admission of gult will have. The company has growjn over the past two years, hiring new workers, taking qn more projects, and signing more artists, said Herve Gail-lard, a producer at Novem and former Cloutier collabb-rator.

It now employs 45. "No contracts were cancelled, no artists left the stable, no broadcaster left usV' said Novem spokesperson Gilles Corriveau. "The foothold of that company in the industry is bjg enough. And people makea difference between the individual and corporation." Radio-Canada Television said the Cloutier-producd shows it is airing will continue. Radio-finergie and Cite Rock Detente, two stations that play Novem artists, said their relationship with tlje musicians and singers wll not change.

Still, there is some evidence that the glory days hi the Cloutier empire may have peaked. Palmares, Ja Novem-produced music-ip-terview show, never made jt past one season. Ratings fr Novem-produced La Fureiir have dropped since Verofa-ique Cloutier left the show. Ratings for her new shojv, Ca va etre ta fete, are between 600,000 and 800,000 viewers per episode, considered average. Novem says on its Web sije that it is in "renaissance." nvanpraet thegazette.canwest.conv 1 CONTINUED FROM Al The outspoken Mississauga-Erindale MP has been publicly lashing out against U.S.

President George Bush and his administration for a year. "I am announcing my decision, effective immediately, to dismiss Carolyn Parrish from the government caucus," Martin told reporters before question period. "I called her a short time ago and told her of my decision. I told her that, while I have defended her right to express her views frankly, I cannot, as leader of our party and the government caucus, tolerate behaviour that demeans and disrespects others. It is unacceptable.

There are better, more civil and more effective ways to make your case than those she has chosen." Parrish's ejection from the Liberal caucus reduces Martin's shaky minority in the Commons to 134 seats. She becomes the second independent in the House. But even before her removal, the 99 Conservatives, 54 Bloquistes and one independent had the power to vote down the Liberals and the 19 NDP combined by one vote. Now the opposition has a two-vote margin. Parrish's string of anti-American comments began last year in the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, when she was heard by reporters saying, "Damn Americans, I hate those bastards." She apologized, and then-prime minister Jean Chretien forgave her.

Parrish has been reprimanded twice by Martin but that has not deterred her. She recently called Bush "warlike," and referred to those who support the U.S. missile defence program as a "coalition of the idiots." Martin ignored calls for her to be removed from caucus until yesterday, that is saying she has the right to freedom of speech. Parrish left town immediately after Martin personally informed her she was out, and she was unavailable for comment. She is expected to hold a news conference in her riding today to give her side of the story The latest Parrish brouhaha began after she participated in a skit for the CBC television comedy This Hour Has 22 Minutes in which she stomped on a Bush doll with her boot.

This was what was deemed repeatedly as unacceptable behaviour." Scott Reid, director of communications at the Prime Minister's Office, praised his boss's "leadership" on the matter and told CBC's Newsworld that it was no single incident that caused Martin to fire Parrish, rather it was the cumulative effect of her many insults. Bush is scheduled to visit Ottawa this month. This was about "her indifference to whether or not the government to which she belongs will be re-elected. This was about grinding your foot into the face of the president of the United States. It was cavalier, it was disrespectful and it had been repeated time and again, and the prime minister decided that action was required." Several Liberal MPs, including Infrastructure Minister John Godfrey, declined to comment on Parrish, but others said the prime minister made the right decision.

"This is about respect for our team. That's why the prime minister took decisive action on this, and we support him 100 per cent," national caucus chairperson Andy Savoy said. Ontario caucus chairperson Sam Bulte said Parrish revealed her true feelings toward the Liberal Party "These are cumulative actions which culminated when she took on our entire caucus saying we can all go to hell. With all due that's not how we win as a team. Clearly, she's indicated she doesn't want to be part of the Liberal Party," Bulte said.

"You make your bed, you sleep in it," Toronto MP Jim Kary-giannis quipped. Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe refused to be drawn into the controversy, saying, "It's not my party" NDP MP Libby Davies nixed any suggestion that her party would consider inviting Parrish tojoin. "She voted for Paul Martin. I don't see the evidence she shares the social democratic policies we support in our party," Davies said. Online Extra: To read reactions to Carolyn Parrish's anti-American outbursts, go to our Web site: ww.montrealgazette.com Born: Oct.

3, 1946, Toronto. Family: Married; two children. Education: University I of Toronto; Ontario College of Education. Private career: Teacher and writer. Riding: Mississauga-Erindale, Politics: Elected to the House of Commons in 1993; re-elect-i ed 1997, 2000 and 2004; On-l tario caucus chair, 1999; parlia-t mentary secretary to the min-l ister of public works, 2000.

I Latest: Dismissed from the i liberal caucus yesterday by Prime Minister Paul Martin for negative comments about the party. i CANADIAN PRESS. strongly denounced by both Liberal and Conservative MPs. She followed that up with an interview with the Canadian Press in which she viciously lashed out at her Liberal leader and colleagues. "I don't care what happens to him," Parrish said, having lost respect for Martin this year when he refused to intervene in the ugly nomination battle she won against Steve Mahoney The contest was plagued by allegations of dirty tricks on both sides.

"If he loses the next election and he has to resign, I wouldn't shed a tear over it," said Parrish of Martin. "After what they've put me through and lots of my colleagues, they can all go to hell. He's not going to control me, so all he's going to do is end up looking weak." Conservative leader Stephen Harper harshly criticized Martin for failing to show leadership on the matter until he was personally insulted. "Carolyn Parrish has not been expelled for violating Liberal policy, for damaging Canadian interests or for insulting our American friends. In the end, she was expelled only for attacking the prime minister.

It shows weak leadership," Harper said. "I've said repeatedly that she should have been expelled for.