Quebecor stops paying rent at the national assembly, citing media 'crisis'

Quebecor headquarters is seen as the media company holds its annual meeting Thursday, May 11, 2023 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi Christinne Muschi

Quebec -

Québecor is no longer paying rent at the national assembly. The company announced its decision in a letter sent earlier this week to the assembly's secretary general, Siegfried Peters.

In the letter, vice-president Jad Barsoum states that, given the "difficult context," Québecor is "immediately suspending payment of the lease" for its premises in the André-Laurendeau building.

Québecor, which owns the TVA television network, Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, says its rent is $8448 a month.

This amount exceeds "the threshold of $100,000 per year, and that's not counting applicable taxes," said Barsoum, adding that this "goes against the principles of access and harms democratic life."

In his letter, he points out that the traditional media are currently going through a "serious crisis" which is undermining "citizens' access to information and, more generally, the health of our democracy."

He asks the national assembly to allow access to these premises free of charge, which "would be a tangible action in support of local media," he says.

This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on Aug. 8, 2023.