The PQ leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, has already opened the door to the abolition of popular financing of political parties.
Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon opposed Wednesday the questioning of the current system, which since 2012 has provided for a mix of public funding, based on votes received, and popular funding, with donations from voters of a maximum amount. of $100.
Implemented by the Parti Québécois (PQ) government and its minister Bernard Drainville, these changes aimed to put an end to the system of nominees and the influence of fundraisers, which have been in the news for several years.
In a book titled Young people and the future of Quebec: The reveries of a solitary walkerpublished in 2009, Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon had outlined new contours of a system where political financing would be entrusted to an independent organization.
“Instead of controlling the financing of political parties, shouldn’t we simply prohibit all contributions to political parties and finance the democratic sphere through an independent public body? », he asked himself.
Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon, who practiced law at that time, proposed a system for distributing public funds based on the votes received by each party.
“In such a system, the amount of funding would be limited and controlled and the only source of funding the party could use would be limited to this public funding,” he wrote.
Hypotheses
Questioned on this subject, Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon, elected leader in 2020, qualified this position. This is not a “firm position taken, but hypotheses”, indicated its spokesperson Emmanuel Renaud.
“He has not defended this idea, he is hypothesizing,” he said in a written statement. The book is called The reveries of a solitary walker and dates from 2009, in addition it names the difficulties linked to this hypothesis. »
In his book, Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon proposed measures to counter difficulties.
It provided for modulation to favor parties having received few votes and limits on the financing of the majority party so as not to give an “undue advantage to any party whatsoever”.
This system would be supplemented by a “modest start-up fund for new parties”, wrote Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon.
Mr. Renaud affirmed Wednesday that the current system, which provides for public financing proportional to votes, benefits the political party in power, but the PQ does not plan anything to correct this situation.
While the financing practices of CAQ deputies have provoked controversy in recent days, the Minister responsible for Democratic Institutions, Jean-François Roberge opened the door, Wednesday, to a questioning of popular financing which would dedicate the exclusive support of political groups with public funds.
Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon said he would not support the government if it goes in this direction.
“No one has talked about preventing people from participating in democracy, about stopping popular donations of $100,” he said.
The PQ leader pleaded for the maintenance of popular financing in addition to financing by public funds paid by the State.
“We are trying on the CAQ side to change the subject, potentially to stop donations from citizens so that funding is now only a reflection of the 2022 election and not the will and opinion of the people as of today, he said. It’s not serious. »