After blaming his tenant for an unpaid municipal tax bill, Conservative Party leader Éric Duhaime said Saturday he was nonetheless “responsible” for the default.
“No matter what agreement I had with him [NDLR : le locataire], I’m responsible. I don’t want to look like a guy who slips away,” Mr. Duhaime said during a press briefing on Saturday morning.
For the second day in a row, the Conservative leader had to answer questions about the revelations of the Montreal Journal to the effect that the city of Quebec was claiming more than $14,000 in unpaid municipal taxes.
The default related to his own residence and an apartment he rents to a third party. When the news came out on Friday, Éric Duhaime had first claimed that he was not aware that he was threatened with seizure and that it was his tenant who had to pay the tax bill.
Asked about this unorthodox practice on Saturday, he reiterated that he had an agreement on this subject with his tenant. “Everyone can negotiate as they want,” he argued. “No matter what deal I had, […] I am accountable. »
Mr. Duhaime also criticized the Quebec newspaper for publishing photos of his properties in his Saturday edition. “I paid my taxes late, but did that justify exposing my residence to the front page of the newspaper? I find it particularly irresponsible, to tell you the truth,” said the politician, recalling that the election campaign had been marked by “security issues” and that he was the only leader not to have bodyguards.
The Conservative leader made his remarks during an announcement on young people and mental health where he spoke extensively about the impacts of the pandemic. Accompanied by three of his candidates, he pledged, if elected, to hold a Summit on Mental Health and Youth.
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