Sylvain Levesque resigns as 2nd Vice-President of the Assembly

Sylvain Lévesque, CAQ MNA and Second Vice-President of the National Assembly, with Premier François Legault and Siegfried Peters, Secretary General of the National Assembly, on Oct. 18, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot)

After obstructing or attempting to obstruct the work of the National Assembly's ethics watchdog, CAQ MNA Sylvain Lévesque resigned from his position as second vice-president of the Assembly on Wednesday.

A report by Ethics Commissioner Ariane Mignolet censured the MNA for Chauveau following an investigation.

The investigation focused on revelations by Radio-Canada that an employee at the Chauveau office had suggested to a citizen who wanted to move her case forward that she pay to meet a minister.

According to the commissioner, the evidence showed that the member's political attaché significantly misused government resources, such as the payroll for constituency office staff, for purposes unrelated to official duties. However, the evidence also indicated that the member did not authorize this misuse.

However, the commissioner concluded that Lévesque deceived or attempted to deceive and obstructed the commissioner in the exercise of her duties, which constitute violations of the Code of Ethics.

Lévesque submitted his resignation as Second Vice-Chairman in a letter on Wednesday and waived his right of reply.

Lévesque was first elected in 2012. After a defeat in 2014, he returned to the National Assembly in 2018. In 2022, after defeating Conservative leader Éric Duhaime in Chauveau, he was promoted to second vice-president of the National Assembly.

This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press Nov. 6, 2024.