The Minister responsible for Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, will correct an oversight and add to her public agenda the meeting she had last fall with her friend, lobbyist in the real estate sector, her cabinet said on Tuesday.
His colleague, Minister for Health and Seniors, Sonia Bélanger, who was present on this occasion, will also include him in the activities that she must publish in her own agenda, her cabinet said.
This information had not been released before reports on it were published last week, although the three-month deadline for publishing them had passed.
Under a directive in force since 2014, government ministers must include in their public agenda any participation in a public event and any meeting with non-governmental actors, such as lobbyists.
The December 5 meeting took place in the offices of Minister Duranceau, her office revealed on Tuesday, announcing that the event will soon be added to her agenda.
“It’s an oversight,” said the Duty the press officer Philippe Couture. It will be added because it could have been registered. »
In the presence of Mr.me Belanger, M.me Duranceau received his friend and business partner Annie Lemieux, as part of a lobbying mandate on government issues.
Sonia Bélanger’s office also said on Tuesday that this meeting will be added to the public agenda of the Minister for Health and Seniors.
“From the outset, the meeting had not been added to the public agenda because the summons came from Mr.me Duranceau, said the press attaché Sarah Bigras. After verification, it is a meeting that we could have registered. »
At the time these lines were written, the available information had not yet been updated in the register provided for this purpose, which is available online.
A practice
The government of Philippe Couillard had introduced this proactive disclosure of ministerial agendas, which is not subject to any regulatory or legislative constraint.
A guide made available to cabinets in 2014 specified that any meeting between a minister and government actors who had requested it should now be made public within three months of the event.
“This includes, if necessary, the lobbyists present at the meeting”, specified a document on this subject.
The date of the meeting, its purpose, the city where it takes place, the names of the people and companies represented must be made public, it is specified.
Last week, after reports emerged about his relationship with Mme Lemieux, France-Élaine Duranceau has indicated that she will avoid meeting her in the future as part of her duties. Her friend is also her business partner in companies that are still officially active.
The office of the Minister of Housing had first said that these companies were inactive, but then changed their minds.
The Registry of Lobbyists indicates that Annie Lemieux has registered a mandate to represent her company, Groupe LS4, valid for the period from November 29, 2022 to November 28, 2023.
The stated objective relates to “modifications to the Civil Code of Québec following discussions on government orientations with regard to housing and accommodation for seniors in Québec and the role of private companies in this matter”.
Representations are declared for the Departments of Municipal Affairs, Housing and Seniors.