Quebec housing minister under investigation by ethics commissioner

France-Elaine Duranceau smiles as she is sworn in as Quebec Housing minister, during a ceremony at the Quebec Legislature, in Quebec City, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Quebec Housing Minister France-Élaine Duranceau is under investigation by the National Assembly's ethics commissioner, Ariane Mignolet.

"The alleged facts concern the Minister's participation, on December 5, 2022, in a professional meeting with her friend and business partner, Ms. Annie Lemieux, who was acting as lobbyist for her and the Minister responsible for Seniors," reads a press release issued on Tuesday.

The media outlet Pivot reported last week that Lemieux had an active mandate to lobby the housing minister and that she had met with her.

It was Liberal MNA Monsef Derraji who filed a request for investigation with the ethics commissioner.

"The request sent to the Commissioner states that the applicant has reasonable grounds to believe that the Minister has breached sections 15 and 16 of the Code with regard to conflict of interest," the release said.

The minister's office declined to comment on the commissioner's investigation.

On Monday, Premier François Legault defended his minister regarding the meeting with her business partner.

"France-Élaine met with the ethics commissioner and the commissioner told her that it was OK. So she took the necessary measures," he said at a press briefing.

However, two sources familiar with the matter contradict the premier. The ethics commissioner was not aware of the meeting between Minister Duranceau and Lemieux.

In the same article, Pivot revealed that Minister Duranceau had engaged in a real-estate "flip," a legal but criticized practice. In 2019, Duranceau bought a duplex in Montreal worth more than $500,000 and transformed it into five condominiums. Each was sold for between $400,000 and $800,000.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said that "flips" were "extremely problematic" because they contributed to rising prices.

Asked whether Duranceau was the right person to solve the housing crisis, the Prime Minister said, "It's certain that France-Élaine has a background in real estate, and I think it's a plus that she knows real estate."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 20, 2023.