Party leaders should disclose the names of those who meet with them to lobby during the election campaign.
This is the position of Liberal leader Dominique Anglade, who said on Tuesday that she was ready to reveal the list of people who met her in order to do canvassing during the election campaign.
Companies or interest groups that meet with elected officials are required to report it to the Lobbying Commissioner and a register is kept, concerning the mandates, the sums involved and the persons concerned in the public administration.
However, during an election campaign, the law does not require declaration in the lobbyist registry for interest groups, companies or individuals who meet leaders or candidates in the campaign to promote interests, projects, etc.
The public affairs firm L’Orange bleue called for a tightening of the law recently.
At a press conference on Tuesday in a company in Boucherville, Dominique Anglade said he was in favor of extending the provisions of the law to the electoral campaign.
“It’s part of a transparency issue and the population has the right to know it,” said Ms. Anglade.
It frequently happens during an election campaign that a party leader meets privately with one or more business leaders, union leaders, representatives of various associations or interest groups.
Solidarity Quebec
In Quebec solidaire (QS), Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois said that the left formation would provide the list “without problem”.
“There aren’t many lobbyists running after us at Québec solidaire,” he replies, escaping a laugh. The list will not be very long. »
He subsequently indicated that, to his knowledge, he had not had any exchanges with lobbyists since the start of the campaign. After the press scrum, Québec solidaire clarified that two associations had met with Mr. Nadeau-Dubois. They are the Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA) and the Eenou Friendship Center in Chibougamau, an Aboriginal multi-service centre.
“While any communication covered by the Act with a minister, deputy, ministry or other government body must be declared to the Register, political parties and their candidates are not considered to be license holders. ‘a public office within the meaning of the law,’ lamented the firm L’Orange bleue.