(Québec) The likely appointment of Michael Sabia as head of Hydro-Québec raises questions. The Parti Québécois (PQ) doubted on Wednesday that Mr. Sabia was “nationalist” enough for the job.
In a press briefing at the National Assembly, PQ MP Pascal Bérubé recalled that François Legault had already deplored the lack of nationalism of Mr. Sabia, who at the time headed the Caisse de depot et placement du Québec.
In 2009, when he was a member of the PQ, Bernard Drainville had described the appointment of Mr. Sabia, a “notorious federalist”, of “error of historic proportions”, also recalled Mr. Bérubé.
Aged 69, Mr. Sabia has had a career in the senior federal and Quebec public service as well as in the business world.
In addition to the position of CEO of the Caisse de dépôt he held from 2009 to 2020, he was CEO of Bell Canada Enterprises and Chief Financial Officer of the Canadian National Railway Company (CN).
In the federal public service, he worked mainly in the Department of Finance and the Privy Council Office.
Mr. Sabia would succeed Sophie Brochu, who left the state-owned company on April 11. She then felt that Hydro-Québec needed someone with a different profile for the next step.