Ethics commissioner clears CAQ MNA after soliciting donations for meetings

CAQ premier Francois Legault along with Rousseau MNA Louis-Charles Thouin, who is under an ethics investigation related to his financing. SOURCE: Louis-Charles Thouin/Facebook

Quebec City — The Ethics Commissioner of the National Assembly has cleared Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) MNA Louis-Charles Thouin of solicitation messages to municipal officials in his riding.

Ariane Mignolet's investigation concluded that the MNA for Rousseau did not violate the code of ethics for elected officials.

However, she also suggested that by 2025, she would be putting forward "certain ethical and deontological considerations and issues related to political financing" and "guidelines."

Last January, The Canadian Press revealed that Thouin was sending invitations for CAQ fundraising cocktail parties to municipal councillors so they could discuss their issues with a special guest, Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault.

The opposition had accused the CAQ of filling its coffers by paying for access to its ministers.

The Code of Ethics stipulates that an MNA "may not place himself in a situation where his personal interest may influence his independence of judgement in the exercise of his office," or "may not act, attempt to act or omit to act in such a way as to further his personal interests."

The evidence gathered shows that the MNA's desire to collect financial contributions for the next election campaign does not constitute a personal interest," wrote the Commissioner.

She also pointed out that the MNA was not in the exercise of his office when he sent the invitation.

Mignolet noted "a certain mixing of roles" between the duties performed by the MNA and the partisan activities in which he may be called upon to participate, but she felt that he 'did not cross the line between partisan activities and activities related to the performance of his duties."

Earlier this year, the CAQ was thrown into turmoil by controversy over its fundraising methods, to the extent that leader François Legault finally announced that his party was abandoning crowdfunding.

Messages obtained by The Canadian Press revealed that CAQ MNAs were inviting municipal councillors to fundraising cocktail parties, suggesting that this would be an opportunity to move issues forward.

Under the Elections Act, any citizen may contribute up to $100 a year to a political party, but there is no quid pro quo.

The Canadian Press also learned that almost half of the mayors, 503 out of 1138, have contributed to CAQ financing since the 2021 municipal elections, for a total of nearly $100,000.

Le Soleil revealed that Guilbault and her colleague in charge of the economy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, were by far the most popular ministers invited to CAQ fundraising cocktail parties.

Incidentally, the Parti Québécois (PQ) pointed out at the time that these are two ministries that allocate a lot of subsidies. Québec solidaire (QS) accused the CAQ of having set up a funding "scheme," while the PQ referred to a "systemic" funding method.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 19, 2024.