Former Quebec MNA offered 'privileged access' to economy minister in 2020

Former Coalition Avenir Québec MNA for Jean-Talon, Joëlle Boutin, offered "privileged access" to minister Pierre Fitzgibbon to business people and entrepreneurs in 2020.

"You will have the opportunity to have privileged access to the minister and to discuss your concerns and the economic recovery directly with him," reads a screenshot obtained by The Canadian Press.

Boutin wrote the invitation in November 2020 on the Facebook group "Réseautage d'affaires et événements Québec" (business networking and events Québec).

As the event was during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was held virtually.

"Once you've registered, I'll send you a link to a document where you can also submit your questions, concerns and suggestions, which I'll be able to submit to him directly upstream. Your opinion matters to him!" Boutin's post continued.

At the end of the message, Boutin specified that "people who have already made their maximum contribution for the current fiscal year will be able to attend free of charge."

Under Quebec's Election Act, each citizen may contribute a maximum of $100 to a political party, but may not do so quid pro quo, i.e. in exchange for a favour.

Elections Québec has already expressed concerns about potential conflicts of interest within the CAQ's fundraising.

"The presence of a minister at a fundraising activity raises the risk that an exchange that takes place during the activity could result in a decision that could appear to constitute a benefit provided in exchange for a contribution," wrote an Elections Québec spokesperson in a message to The Canadian Press.

Participation in a fundraising activity does not in itself constitute a problem, but "the question therefore touches on the issue of the integrity of political financing if, following a fundraising activity, a minister were to make a decision that would constitute, in an apparent or real way, an advantage provided in exchange for a contribution," the statement continued.

'Clumsy' wording

Interviewed by The Canadian Press on Thursday, Joëlle Boutin acknowledged her wording was "clumsy" regarding the term "privileged access."

"It was inappropriate," she said, adding that she's "always been super 'by the book.'"

She admits that inviting a minister to a fundraising event attracts more people -- "but there's never any quid pro quo," she said.

"The format was a kind of webinar where Pierre Fitzgibbon talked about economic recovery from the pandemic and people asked questions," she said, adding that no lobbying was involved.

She said political party financing creates unease among both elected officials and the public.

"I can't say it was my favorite part. Asking people for money, no matter who it was."

A 6th CAQ MNA

Following reports by The Canadian Press, the CAQ has been at the center of controversy over its financing practices for the past two weeks.

After Louis-Charles Thouin, Sylvain Lévesque, François Jacques, Gilles Bélanger and Yves Montigny, it's now Kariane Bourassa, the MNA for Charlevoix-Côte-de-Beaupré, who is in hot water for her fundraising efforts.

In a screenshot obtained by The Canadian Press, Bourassa invited mayors to meet with the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Andrée Laforest, on Nov. 23 to "discuss issues of concern to you" in exchange for a $100 donation to the party.

Several mayors participated in the event, which was held in a Baie-Saint-Paul hotel.

A national assembly employee, Maxime Tremblay, was the contact person for "more information" about this fundraising event.

Riding employees are not supposed to do partisan work during working hours, as Ethics Commissioner Ariane Mignolet has already pointed out, saying she was "highly concerned" by the CAQ's use of public funds for partisan purposes in 2022.

In a statement to The Canadian Press, Bourassa wrote:

"The invitations for this fundraising event were made by my committee of activists, with personal emails," she wrote. "All the rules were respected. I will not accept my integrity being questioned!"

She went on to stress that "at the CAQ, integrity is a fundamental value, a non-negotiable value. That's why the Premier announced this morning that our party would renounce private financing until new rules are in place".

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 1, 2023.