CAQ Rousseau candidate Louis-Charles Thouin, who handed out $20 and $10 bills during a bingo event, drew criticism from his opponents on Friday. QS spokesperson Ruba Ghazal compared the practice to vote-buying. “It makes no sense that in Quebec in 2026, during an election, money would be given to the public like that. (...) I would never accept that on my team,” she said during a news scrum on the sidelines of the Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ) Election Summit on Friday. The “Journal de Québec” revealed on Thursday that on Sept. 8, Thouin gave cash as gifts to the winners of a bingo game organized for seniors. He had placed $20 or $10 bills inside caps and sweatshirts. The elected official even acknowledged the incident and apologized. Election law prohibits giving money in exchange for a vote. PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon denounced the trivialization of such behaviour. “Stop trivializing actions that cause the public to lose confidence in their elected officials. It’s not good for the people who give their heart and soul to convince the public that we in Quebec are capable,” he said. On Thursday, CAQ leader Christine Fréchette described her candidate’s behaviour as a “serious error in judgment.” She nevertheless kept him on her team. For Liberal leader Charles Milliard, Thouin’s actions are “unacceptable.” “What surprises me even more—if that’s even possible—is that Ms. Fréchette is defending this this morning, when she’s the first to put her team to work looking for dirt on all the other parties,” Milliard said. “The pot calling the kettle black.” In an interview on FM93, Milliard was asked about the fact that the word “corruption” often came up when discussing the Liberals. “The word starting with ‘C’ can apply to plenty of other parties, and it can also mean a cap with $20 inside,’” he replied. According to Conservative leader Éric Duhaime, the CAQ leader should show “humility” after this incident. “I’d say to Ms. Fréchette: ‘What goes around comes around,’” he remarked. All party leaders were present at the UMQ Election Summit. However, Christine Fréchette left quickly, without answering reporters’ questions. Not the First Controversy This isn’t the first time Thouin has been embroiled in controversy. In 2024, he was among the CAQ members of the National Assembly who organized fundraising events attended by ministers and sent out invitations suggesting that attendees could discuss and advance transportation issues, for example. However, Élections Québec stipulates that a contribution to a party must be made “without compensation or consideration.” Thouin invited municipal officials from his riding to a “private cocktail party” costing $100—a happy hour-style event—in the presence of the then-Minister of Transportation, Geneviève Guilbault. In his fundraising message, the CAQ member of the National Assembly stated: “Every member of the National Assembly must raise funds each year in preparation for the next election; however, this year, I have decided to propose a new approach to you.” The National Assembly’s Commissioner for Ethics and Professional Conduct, Ariane Mignolet, had opened an investigation at the request of Assembly Member Vincent Marissal, then of Québec Solidaire. She concluded that the member for Rousseau had not violated the code of ethics for elected officials, but added that she would highlight “certain considerations and ethical and professional issues related to political financing” as well as “guidelines.” Thouin was elected in 2018 and 2022 as a CAQ candidate in Rousseau. --With information from Patrice Bergeron of The Canadian Press. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 18, 2026.
