(Quebec) Prime Minister François Legault denies having used public funds to offer “partisan” training on “media planning and buying” for the next elections. According to him, the approach taken by the office of the chief government whip is completely “normal”. The Ethics Commissioner is investigating at the request of the Liberals.
Mr. Legault assures that the CAQ training on “media planning and purchasing” for future elections was not partisan. Rather, he argues that the webinar, presented on Wednesday, was intended to “properly explain” what “must be paid with funds from the CAQ and what must be paid with funds from the National Assembly.”
“We are leaving in an election year,” he said on Friday when he arrived at the General Council of his training in Trois-Rivières. “What we want is to be sure that the deputies in all the counties respect the laws of the National Assembly, so we have set up training to explain to everyone, everywhere in all the counties that public funds should not be used. ”
The Liberal Party of Quebec reads it completely differently. On Friday, the Ethics Commissioner, Ariane Mignolet, also confirmed the opening of an investigation into their holding of this training on advertising placements in anticipation of the elections. According to the Liberals, the operation “leaves a partisan role attributed to the staff of the county offices”.
We also wonder about the resources used by the office of the chief government whip. It was also an employee of the whip’s office who mistakenly sent the training content on Thursday to office staff in the 125 constituencies and not only to those of elected Caquistas.
The PLQ also notes that each page is adorned with the logo of the National Assembly. The training was also offered by two party employees.
But, there is nothing abnormal in the eyes of Mr. Legault. “No, we take the regulations of the National Assembly and we explain to our deputies and our employees what they have the right to do […] I think it is important that all political parties properly inform MPs of what we have the right to do and what we are not allowed to do in advertising during the campaign, ”he said. -he adds.
No hasty elections, assures Legault
The Liberals also pointed out that the training document specified that advertising plans had to be submitted by February 15. According to them, this indicated “clearly an option” for the government to call Quebecers to the polls earlier than expected. On this subject, the Prime Minister left no doubt on Saturday: the general election will be held on October 3, 2022.
I have already said it and I will repeat it, we have a law to have fixed date elections so the next general elections will take place in early October 2022.
François Legault, Premier of Quebec
According to the Liberal Party of Quebec, the training offered by the CAQ violates article 36 of the Code of ethics and professional conduct of the members of the National Assembly which stipulates that “The deputy uses the property of the State, including property leased by the State, as well as the services made available to it by the State and allow their use for activities related to the exercise of its office. ”
The office of the chief government whip assured Friday that it was “not a partisan training”, but rather a “training on good practices concerning media placement for our teams in constituency for s’ ensure that all rules are followed ”. It was agreed, however, that an error occurred while sending the information to the constituency offices.