Québec solidaire will ask the Auditor General of Quebec to investigate the envelope of $5 to $7 million intended to attract the Los Angeles Kings to Quebec next year to play preparatory matches at the Videotron Center.
In a telephone interview with The Canadian Press, the solidarity MP for Rosemont, Vincent Marissal, was still stunned by the daily revelations The PressSaturday morning, according to which the CAQ government used the National Capital Region Fund (FRCN), which notably finances the projects of community and non-profit organizations.
Journalist Tommy Chouinard revealed on Saturday that the fund had been increased by the necessary sum and that the expenditure would be spread over two years given that normally authorized projects cannot exceed three million dollars.
“We learned in The Press that there were all kinds of tricks to free up the funds which were not at all intended for that, that we did this by decree in secret and that we are doing this over two years so that it passes” , lists Mr. Marissal, still absent from the National Assembly due to convalescence.
The MP does not hesitate to say that “this looks like a misappropriation of public funds for non-legitimate purposes”.
“It’s worrying when the government starts fiddling with public funds for the whim of the Prime Minister who really likes hockey,” continues Mr. Marissal.
Maurice-Richard’s solidarity deputy, Haroun Bouazzi, will also table a motion in the National Assembly at the beginning of next week to ask the government to back down on its controversial investment.
“It’s the only thing to do,” underlines Vincent Marissal. Frankly, it’s shameful, it’s inexplicable and it doesn’t make any sense. That [le gouvernement] back off, that’s the only thing to do. This is what the population is asking for. I won’t give up. »
Liberals also stunned
The Liberal Party of Quebec is also stunned by the measure announced by Minister Éric Girard on Wednesday.
“There is no more room for maneuver in the state coffers. We learned this morning that to subsidize the two NHL preparatory matches in Quebec, the Legault government is using a regional fund for business projects and local non-profit organizations, the FRCN,” recalled interim leader Marc Tanguay. , in a long publication on X, formerly Twitter.
There is no more room for maneuver in the state coffers. We learned this morning that to subsidize the two NHL preparatory matches in Quebec, the Legault government is using a regional fund for projects by businesses and local non-profit organizations,… pic.twitter.com/mlsCxWUIHC
— Marc Tanguay (@marc_tanguay) November 18, 2023
“Quebec did not finance NHL games at the Videotron Center in 2017 and 2018. Recently, the government of Nova Scotia also spent nothing on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ visit to Halifax. By spending $7 million of Quebecers’ money in this way, do you still consider yourself [François Legault] be on cow land? », concluded the member for LaFontaine.