Conservative leader Éric Duhaime tried to clarify on Tuesday the circumstances that led him to omit paying his property taxes, while the financial situation of all party leaders was made public.
Mr. Duhaime stated that he had absolved himself of his responsibility to pay the amount of the school tax for a residence belonging to him.
A friend living in the building located near the Plains of Abraham had to pay the amount, said the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ). “Unfortunately, it was late and that’s why I had to reimburse a posteriori all the invoices,” he explained at a press conference in Montreal.
Following a judgment rendered in June 2021, a bailiff had threatened to seize the property belonging to Mr. Duhaime because of his delay in paying the sum of $2,400 in school taxes owed to the Center de services scolaire de la Capitale, reported The Press this week.
Mr. Duhaime had first concluded a one-year lease with his tenant and friend before opting for another formula when he saw his financial difficulties. “He was not able to pay rent as we wanted to do at the start, he explained. The idea was to transfer it so that he could maintain the house and pay current accounts, including taxes, Hydro-Québec, cable, mowing the lawn, painting the house — the basic stuff. »
No hiding places
Last week, the Conservative leader had to pay an emergency $14,000 in municipal taxes on two of his buildings after the publication of a report by the Montreal Journal revealing that they were going to be seized by the City of Quebec due to non-payment.
Mr. Duhaime had also claimed that his tenant, the same one who failed to pay the school taxes for one of the two properties, was responsible for settling these sums.
The Conservative leader assured Tuesday that everything was in order regarding his tax situation as an owner. “Everyone knows this house belongs to me, there are no hiding places,” he said.
On Tuesday, new information then surfaced concerning an $8,000 small claims lawsuit against Mr. Duhaime for unpaid plumbing bills relating to work carried out in 2018 and 2019, Radio-Canada reported, adding that the file has closed. then settled amicably.
In Boucherville on Tuesday, Liberal leader Dominique Anglade affirmed the need to respect the rules when one aspires to govern Quebec. “I invite all party leaders to pay their taxes and not to try to justify why they have not done so. »
Québec solidaire spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois said it is in the public interest for the Conservative leader to be more transparent. “There is a limit to telling all kinds of stories to justify these problems,” said the united candidate for the post of Prime Minister, passing through Rouyn-Noranda. “Mr. Duhaime is appearing before Quebeckers, he must be transparent. »
Chef’s Assets
On Tuesday, the party leaders also made public information on their financial situation, first requested by Cogeco Nouvelles.
Mr. Duhaime declared an asset of 3.7 million dollars, a sum from which must be deducted a mortgage of one million. He owns three buildings and has $700,000 in an unidentified business.
Liberal leader Dominique Anglade said the highest amount of assets, $12.5 million, was held with her spouse. Mortgages totaling $1.9 million on three residences reduce his net assets to about $10.5 million, a sum that includes $8.5 million in stocks and bonds.
CAQ chief François Legault has assets totaling $9.5 million, from which must be subtracted a mortgage margin of $1.7 million. The bulk of Mr. Legault’s assets consists of a registered retirement income fund (RRIF) of 6.35 million.
PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has assets of $1.12 million, an amount that includes three properties. In total, his net assets are $410,450.
QS spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois has a net worth of $104,285. He is co-owner of a duplex worth $297,000 with a mortgage of $252,336.
On Tuesday, Mr. Nadeau-Dubois noted that three of the leaders of the main parties have net assets that make them millionaires. “Can these people contribute a little more to society because they have a little more money? My answer is yes,” he said.
With Florence Morin-Martel