While a former executive of Investissement Québec (IQ), who became a lobbyist for the American manufacturer General Motors over the past month, tried to contact former colleagues, the CEO of the state-owned company, Guy LeBlanc, ensures that the organization’s code of ethics adequately guides lobbying activities.
Radio-Canada reported on Tuesday that Simon Thibault, former senior director of the battery sector at Investissement Québec, has sought in recent weeks to get in touch with former colleagues, following which a directive was issued to ” prohibit his ex-colleagues from discussing files related to the battery industry with him”. Mr. Thibault has been working for a few weeks for General Motors (GM), which is seeking financing for the construction of a battery materials plant in Bécancour.
“As far as lobbying activities are concerned, we have a code of ethics”, assures the Duty IQ leader Guy LeBlanc. “For a director, it’s a year without being able to get in touch and still bound by the confidentiality agreement. You cannot contact or lobby for companies, particularly in files where you have been involved, ”continues Mr. LeBlanc.
“All employees are bound by the same code of ethics. We’re not playing police, but it would be uncomfortable to get caught sharing information,” said Mr. LeBlanc.
And could there be penalties for breaking the code? “I’m not into it, but could there be sanctions? I imagine, if you don’t respect the code, ”warns the head of the state-owned company.
In the last few days, Simon Thibault registered in the Quebec lobbyist registry, in particular to conduct “discussions related to financing (grants, loans or other) to support the construction of a new cathode active materials facility in Bécancour, Quebec”. The institutions targeted by this process are the municipality of Bécancour, the Ministry of the Economy, the Ministry of the Environment and Investissement Québec. The information was first disclosed by The Journal of Montreal.
A team still “very solid”
The leader of Investissement Québec was also reassuring about the fact that the team responsible for developing the battery sector within the state-owned company is still in good shape, despite the departure of one of his own. .
“He was an important member of the team. That, clearly. Simon, we appreciated him a lot and it will be an important contribution for GM. But at Investissement Québec, there is still a very solid battery team. It’s like in a team of hockey players, on the first two lines. We lost one of our players, it’s true. But we still have the two centers and the main scorer,” said Mr. LeBlanc.