The Parti Québécois on Thursday rejected the conclusions of an ethics report that grants an absolution to the Minister of Economy and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, following a controversial pheasant hunting party in a private club belonging to wealthy business people.
Like the Liberal Party and Québec solidaire, the PQ leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, in the same breath called for a reopening of the code of ethics in order to clarify several aspects, in particular concerning the gifts received by elected officials within the framework of a private relationship.
Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon expressed his surprise at the conclusions of the Ethics Commissioner, Ariane Mignolet, whose investigation report tabled Wednesday concludes that Mr. Fitzgibbon has not committed any breach.
“Although I respect his power and his skills, I do not share his conclusions,” he said at a press conference.
In the document, M.me Mignolet claims that Mr. Fitzgibbon’s hunting party took place in a private setting where, after investigation, she found no evidence of a conflict of interest.
In October 2022, Mr. Fitzgibbon flew by helicopter to an island in Lake Memphremagog, at the invitation of businessman Maurice Pinsonnault, whom the commissioner describes as an “acquaintance” of the minister.
Pierre Fitzgibbon had nothing to pay during his hunting day. Transportation, ammunition, snacks, meals, refreshments and cocktails were the responsibility of his hosts.
Even if she estimates the value of this invitation at more than $200, the minimum threshold which obliges elected officials to declare any gift, Mme Mignolet concludes that the Minister did not have to do so since everything took place in the context of a private relationship.
On Thursday, Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon wondered about the definition of private relationship that led the commissioner to draw this conclusion. According to him, private links should not prevent the disclosure of such a gift.
“We would be led to believe that someone who is offered a hunting trip worth several thousand dollars, from someone who obtains government contracts for around $100,000, that there is no has no problem, in the context where Mr. Fitzgibbon is not in his first history with ethical issues, ”he said sorry.
Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon believes that this decision opens the door to problems of transparency concerning the gifts that the elected members of the National Assembly receive.
“I do not understand how we are going to do, in the future, to interpret the notion of private link”, he said.
Review the code
In light of the report’s conclusions, the PQ leader opened the door to discussions that could lead to a clarification of the code of ethics.
“I would have had different conclusions,” he said. Now, perhaps we can, through legislation, clarify these things. »
Interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay said his party had already come out in favor of studying a report by Mr.me Mignolet on the implementation of the code, in which she proposed changes, in 2019. He recalled that Prime Minister François Legault was open to reviewing the code when some of its provisions earned Mr. Fitzgibbon a reprimand because of assets he held.
“We must improve the code of ethics,” repeated Mr. Tanguay.
Unlike the PQ, Mr. Tanguay did not contest Mr.me Mignolet about Mr. Fitzgibbon’s hunting party. He underlined a warning that she formulated in her report where she invites the minister to guard against the risk of the appearance of conflicts of interest when he goes again, as he intends, hunt pheasant on the island, a decision she called “hazardous terrain”.
“François Legault and Mr. Fitzgibbon, they, it seems, don’t give a shit,” he said, referring to the good-natured reception that Mr. Legault gave the investigation report on Wednesday. and to Mr. Fitzgibbon, who refused to change anything in his way of doing things.
Quebec Solidarity MNA Ruba Ghazal also sided with Ms.me Mignolet. She said, however, that they can cause concern.
“It does not increase public confidence in our institutions which are being undermined,” she said. Well, that’s what worries me. And Mr. Legault must be worried about that instead of making jokes about pheasant hunting. »
Mme Ghazal also recalled that she would like to “dust off the code of ethics”.
“We have to see him again,” she said. Mme Mignolet has made recommendations since 2019, and the right thing to do would be to invite him to committee. »