Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon is the subject of a new investigation by the Ethics Commissioner regarding possible breaches of the Code of Ethics for Members of the national assembly.

The opening of this investigation, confirmed Friday by the Commissioner, follows a request made earlier this week by the PQ MNA for Magdalen Islands, Joël Arseneau.

This will be the fifth investigation of Fitzgibbon.

Arseneau had written to Commissioner Ariane Mignolet earlier this week to request an investigation into the minister's authorization in November 2021 of a $24-million investment in LMPG, the parent company of lighting products manufacturer Lumenpulse, acording to the commissioner's letter sent to Arseneau, which was obtained by The Canadian Press.

In his request, the PQ MNA says he has "reasonable grounds to believe" that the minister committed breaches of sections 15 and 16 of the Code of Ethics for Members of the national assembly.

According to the commissioner's letter, Minister Fitzgibbon authorized this transaction "while one of the shareholders and directors [of LMPG], Michel Ringuet, was in a contractual relationship with the minister, acting as an agent of his blind trust."

In addition, the application mentioned that the minister "was himself a director of the company between 2013 and 2017."

The Magdalen Islands MNA is asking for an investigation "to determine whether the actions and interventions of the minister in this file have had or could have the effect of favouring the interests [of his agent] and whether the minister's past functions within the company could have affected his ability to make the decision," read the commissioner's press release published Friday.

As a result, the minister was informed in writing that an investigation had been initiated against him, it said.

In accordance with the Code, the commissioner will conduct her investigation in camera. A report setting out the reasons for her conclusions and recommendations will be sent to the Speaker of the national assembly, who will make it public by tabling it in the assembly.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 28, 2022.