CAQ offers to reimburse grieving couple for donation

The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) is offering to reimburse a grieving couple who paid $200 to meet with Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault to talk about their fight against drunk driving.

Embroiled in a fundraising controversy, Premier François Legault's party confirmed on Friday morning that it had contacted the couple, Antoine Bittar and Élizabeth Rivera.

CAQ Executive Director Brigitte Legault said in a text message that the party has offered to refund the couple, and it will respect whatever decision they make.

Bittar and Rivera have been on a crusade to lower the province's blood-alcohol limit from 0.08 to 0.05 (50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood) since the loss of their daughter in 2017 to a drunk driver.

In a parliamentary committee on Thursday, Rivera revealed that a member of staff from MNA Marilyne Picard's office had offered them the chance to meet the minister at a fundraising event.

They had to pay $100 per person to get two minutes per person. The couple paid $200.

The opposition has roundly denounced this fundraising method.

Picard and Guilbault both apologized but accused the opposition parties of political recuperation.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 9, 2024.