The opposition in the National Assembly considers the laxity in the use of credit cards of the various Quebec ministries “unacceptable”.
• Also read: Thousands of dollars paid in interest on Quebec government credit cards
• Also read: Lack of supervision around credit cards in Quebec ministries
• Also read: François Legault bought a Guy Lafleur sweater with public funds
The Bureau of Investigation found interest charges and contracts not disclosed to the public regarding the use of bank cards by the government.
In total, 350,000 transactions totaling $48 million since 2021 have been analyzed, as demonstrated by articles published in the NewspaperSATURDAY.
For example, helicopter parts, phone cases, hockey jerseys, painting services for a mural and satellite internet packages were noticed in the departments’ credit card spending.
The Liberal MP for Nelligan, Monsef Derraji, says he is upset by the revelations made by our Bureau of Investigation.
“We see a government that has lost control of public finances,” he says on LCN.
The elected representative of the Liberal Party of Quebec asks the Legault government “to be careful with the money it has been given to manage public finances.”
For Vincent Marissal of Québec solidaire, the president of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, must send “clear and strict instructions” regarding the use of credit cards.
“When it comes to budgetary rigor, at the CAQ, it’s “Do what I say, not what I do”,” he wrote in a reaction sent to the media.
“François Legault should immediately reimburse the public funds spent on his hockey jersey instead of charging taxpayers for his passions,” adds the member for Rosemont.
The Parti Québécois indicates that this is “a new wave of frivolous spending on the part of a spendthrift and deficit government.”
“The sound management of public funds and the fight against waste must be daily concerns of the Government of Quebec. This is the hard-earned money of Quebecers,” underlines PQ leader Pascal Bérubé.