The Ethics Commissioner will investigate the financial assistance of $50 million paid by the government to a company one of whose directors is close to Pierre Fitzgibbon.
• Read also: $150 million in public funds in firms of Fitzgibbon’s agent
Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon authorized an investment in the LMPG company in November 2021 through the Ministry of the Economy.
This transaction was carried out while one of the shareholders and administrators of the company, Michel Ringuet, acted as mandatary of the trust without the Minister’s right of inspection. Pierre Fitzgibbon was also a director of LMPG from 2013 to 2017.
In reaction to the revelation of this investment by The newspaperPQ MP Joël Arseneau asked Ethics and Professional Conduct Commissioner Ariane Mignolet to shed light on the events and determine whether Pierre Fitzgibbon’s actions may have had the effect of furthering Michel’s interests. ringette.
On Friday, the Ethics Commissioner informed Mr. Arseneau of her decision to follow up on his request. “I have sent a copy of your request to the minister and inform you that an investigation is open,” reads a letter obtained by the QMI Agency.
This is the fifth investigation by the Ethics Commissioner targeting Pierre Fitzgibbon. The minister was blamed three times.
No conflict of interest, according to Fitzgibbon
On the side of the Coalition Avenir Québec, we assure that there is “no conflict of interest” in this file. The press secretary to the super minister for the economy, innovation and energy argued that Mr. Fitzgibbon “terminated his relationship with Lumenpulse in the spring of 2017” and that he no longer has “ no shares, no options or any relationship with the company” since.
“The transaction approved at the end of 2021 was made in compliance with all the rules in place, following the recommendations of the MEI, the Ministry of Finance and Investissement Québec. On the other hand, the Ethics Commissioner authorized Michel Ringuet to be the fiduciary of Pierre Fitzgibbon in 2019”, we added in a written declaration.
The PQ satisfied
The Parti Québécois said it was “satisfied” that the issue was deemed important enough by the Ethics Commissioner and that an investigation is now open.
“It is essential to ensure compliance with the rules of ethics, at the start of the mandate of a government which enjoys a very strong majority. And particularly with regard to a minister who enjoys unparalleled powers in his new role as superminister,” declared the deputy for the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Joël Arseneau.