Fundraising scandal: CAQ says it's ready to end donations to political parties
The Coalition Avenir Québec says it's prepared to end donations to political parties, after several CAQ members were accused of soliciting $100 donations from mayors hoping to meet with ministers.
Jean-François Roberge, the minister responsible for democratic institutions, raised that possibility on Wednesday amid strong criticism from opposition parties, which allege the governing party is monetizing access to its members.
The Canadian Press reported earlier this week that almost half of Quebec's mayors have contributed to the governing party's coffers since the 2021 municipal election, for a total of nearly $100,000.
But for things to change, Roberge says, the opposition parties would need to agree to end political donations, which are an important source of revenue for parties that have a small share of seats in the legislature.
"If the opposition wants us to reopen the discussion, if they are ready, if the opposition are ready, let's all say, 'let’s forget about (donations),'" Roberge told reporters in Quebec City.
Under Quebec's Election Act, only citizens — not legal entities such as companies or unions — can donate to political parties, and the maximum donation is $100 per year, with an extra $100 allowed for general elections or byelections.
The Act specifies that donations can't be given in order to gain a favour or an advantage.
In the place of donations, Quebec's elections office pays political parties an annual allowance in proportion to the percentage of valid votes obtained in the last general election.
The elections authority also pays parties matching funds based on the number of donations they receive.
Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, whose party is heavily reliant on donations, wrote on the X platform, formerly called Twitter, that the problem is not public contributions but rather "the dubious practices of monetizing access to ministers."
St-Pierre Plamondon said his party, despite having only four of the legislature's 125 seats, collects the most donations and has enjoyed rising support: recent polls have put the PQ in first place ahead of the CAQ.
In contrast, the Coalition Avenir Québec has 89 seats, which means it would collect the lion's share of the funding under a purely public financing model.
"Clearly, the CAQ would like political financing to reflect the 2022 election results and not the opinion and mobilization of voters today," St-Pierre Plamondon wrote, adding that public donations are "an important means of democratic participation."
On Wednesday, Québec solidaire member Vincent Marissal asked the ethics commissioner to add CAQ legislature members Gilles Bélanger and Yves Montigny to the list of politicians being investigated, which already includes CAQ members Sylvain Lévesque and Louis-Charles Thouin.
The Canadian Press has seen a message Bélanger sent to mayors in the Memphremagog region, east of Montreal, last November, inviting them to an event attended by Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault in exchange for a $100 contribution.
Montigny, according to Québec solidaire, made a similar pitch to an entrepreneur who was offered the chance to meet the province's agriculture minister at a cocktail event.
In an email, Élections Québec confirmed to The Canadian Press that it is ready to clarify and tighten the rules around election financing.
The organization said the presence of ministers at paid fundraisers can raise concerns, noting that the exchanges that take place "could result in a decision that appears to constitute an advantage provided in exchange for a contribution."
Speaking alongside Roberge on Wednesday, Education Minister Bernard Drainville said that people attending fundraising cocktails sometimes bring up files they want to advance, but he minimized the influence these brief conversations have.
"Do you really think that after two, three minutes, they'll leave with a section of road, a bridge or a subsidy?" he said. "Is there anyone who thinks that in Quebec you can buy a minister with a $100 donation?"
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan. 31, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
BREAKING London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.