Coderre allows MNAs to attend fundraising cocktail parties

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The Liberal government led by Denis Coderre allows MNAs to participate in party fundraising.

That's what Coalition Avenir, a potential candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Quebec, said amid controversy over Quebec's funding methods.

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Coderre said the cocktail party fundraiser is a “special platform” to raise awareness and connect with citizens.

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For nearly three weeks, opposition parties accused the CAQ of cutting off access to MNAs at cocktail parties in exchange for a $100 donation to party funds.

The law allows anyone to contribute up to $100 a year to such funds, and nothing prohibits MNAs from participating.

The latest controversy came last week when the CAQ called on the sad couple, who are on a mission to lower the legal blood alcohol limit on the road in Quebec, to pay $100 each for two minutes with Transport Minister Genevieve Guilbeau.

In late January, Parti Québécois leader Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon said if elected he would ban his MNAs from fundraising to avoid conflicts of interest.

But the Liberal Party, led by Montreal's former mayor, won't.

“I don't think you can buy a journalist for 100 dollars, more than an elected official. If you buy for $100, we have a problem,” Coderre said, echoing the argument of Premier François Legault.

If people come to her at a cocktail party “to talk about their issues, they're there to be informed — that's fine,” Coderre said.

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He said he believes it is normal for people in public office, such as elected officials, to communicate with citizens, business people or other politicians to discuss issues.

“If I am elected, I will represent this people,” Coderre said. “When we have functions, people come to talk to us, not just about the Hubs and yesterday's win or Major League Baseball expansion — they come to talk to us about their issues and raise awareness.”

An elected official can make better decisions if stakeholders and stakeholders are better informed, Coderre added.

“Knowledge is power,” he said.

Coderre clarified his position in an interview before the controversy over the grieving couple and Guilbault, but when called upon to find out if he stood by his opinion, he reaffirmed.

(Last week, the Liberal Party suggested that if it forms the next government, it will involve the NNA in the party's fund-raising events.)

The existing legal framework is sufficient to regulate the use of UAVs and there is no need to tighten it, said interim Liberal leader Mark Tanguay. The fact of inviting these people and hanging ministers to attract them is a problem, he said.

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“However, the participation of a minister in a fund-raising event increases the risk that the exchange taking place within the service will result in a decision that constitutes an advantage in exchange for a contribution,” Électique Quebec. part of it, said in an email to Presse Canadienne in response to a series of questions about the party's funding.

The CAQ has been in turmoil since January 23 due to controversy over fundraising methods. Presse Canadienne uncovered messages from CAQ MNAs who invited city elected officials to fund-raising cocktail parties where they could discuss the issues.

Two elected CAQ officials, Sylvain Lévesque and Louis-Charles Touin, are the subject of an investigation by the National Assembly's ethics commissioner. Click on Canadienne also learned that almost half of Quebec mayors – 503 out of 1,138 – have contributed to the funding of the CAQ since the 2021 municipal elections, a total of about $100,000.

Legalt subsequently announced that his party would waive contributions from individuals, giving up nearly $1 million in annual donations.

Le Soleil also revealed that Guilbeau and fellow Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon were the most popular MNAs invited to a total of 16 CAQ fundraising cocktails in 16 months. By the way, many subsidies were given to the two ministries, PQ noted.

Québec Solaire accused the CAQ of creating a “strategy” of funding, while the PQ cited a “systematic” approach to funding.

Coderre is expected to announce in June whether he will run for the Liberal Party leadership. Last week, a Léger poll commissioned by Quebecor media predicted that the Coderre-led PLQ would get 21% of the ballot, compared to 15% for current interim leader Marc Tanguay. 27 percent of respondents believe that Coderre will be a good leader of the party.

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