The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) is offering to reimburse a bereaved couple who had to pay $200 to meet Minister Geneviève Guilbault in order to advance the fight against drunk driving.
Mired in another controversy regarding its fundraising, François Legault’s party confirmed Friday morning that it had contacted the couple Antoine Bittar and Élizabeth Rivera.
The general director of the CAQ, Brigitte Legault, indicated in a text message that the party had offered a refund to the couple and that the CAQ would respect their choice whatever it was.
Antoine Bittar and Élizabeth Rivera have been on a crusade to lower the permitted blood alcohol level from 0.08 to 0.05 (50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood) since the loss of their daughter in 2017, who was killed by a drunk driver.
In parliamentary committee on Thursday, Mme Rivera revealed that a staff member from MP Marilyne Picard’s office had offered to meet the minister at a fundraising event. You had to pay $100 per person to get two minutes per person. The couple therefore paid $200.
The opposition strongly denounced this method of fundraising.
Marilyne Picard apologized in a Facebook message and the Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, said she was sorry, but accused the opposition parties of political co-opting.
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