A few days after the controversy over public financing of two Los Angeles Kings games in Quebec, Finance Minister Eric Girard canceled a trip to New York where he was to meet the commissioner of the National Hockey League (NHL), Gary Bettmann.
Mr. Girard let it slip that this decision was taken in the context of negotiations for the renewal of collective agreements in the public sector, for which the president of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, is responsible.
“I will stay here for the financial framework of the negotiations, to assist Mme LeBel, he said before rushing into the Blue Room for question period. That means I’m not making my trip to New York. »
The minister’s press secretary, Claudia Loupret, indicated that this trip, which was also to be used to meet representatives of the New York financial markets, was canceled as a precaution. Mr. Girard was to be accompanied by his deputy minister, Julie Gingras.
Mr. Girard found himself at the center of controversy after announcing two weeks ago that the government would offer a grant of $5 to $7 million to finance two Los Angeles Kings games at the Los Angeles Amphitheater. Quebec.
On this occasion, he revealed that he would meet at the end of the month Mr. Bettman, with whom he had already discussed the return of the Nordics for the first time, in January 2022.
At the end of this first exchange, the NHL indicated that it did not see any opening for the return of an NHL team to Quebec.
The decision to subsidize two Kings games in Quebec embarrassed the government, shortly after Mr. Girard told the unions that the Quebec budget was tight and that the next six months would be difficult financially.
In justifying his decision to finance the two Kings games last week, Mr. Girard took note of the “very negative reaction” generated by his decision. He maintained that this financial aid was intended to encourage the return of the Nordiques, the probability of which he estimated at 10%.
“Minister of Nostalgia”
PQ MP Pascal Bérubé argued Tuesday that the decline of the Minister of Finance is further proof of the government’s disorientation.
“I’ve stopped trying to figure out what they’re doing, so I’m letting them do what they’re doing, counting down the days until they stop doing what they’re doing,” he said. -he said after question period.
Mr. Bérubé affirmed that the size of the Quebec market is one of the obstacles hindering the return of an NHL team to Quebec.
“I want us to move in that direction, but with reasonable expectations,” he said.
According to the MP, Mr. Girard would have an interest in focusing more on his main functions rather than investing as he is doing for the return of the Nordiques.
“Perhaps he should concentrate on his role, that of being Minister of Finance and not Minister of Nostalgia,” he said.