MNA received $55,000 loan from suburban mayor
Legault says it won’t affect Éric Caire’s candidacy because it was paid back
On the heels of the resignation of the Coalition Avenir Québec president Tuesday, another of the party’s candidates is embroiled in a controversy for accepting a $55,000 personal loan from a suburban mayor in Quebec City.
Éric Caire, the CAQ MNA for the Quebec City riding of La Peltrie, acknowledged Wednesday at a televised news conference that he accepted a personal loan a year ago from Émile Loranger, the mayor of L’Ancienne-Lorette, to buy a house in the municipality.
Loranger has been on a leave of absence as mayor since January following an allegation of psychological harassment by a municipal employee.
Caire, who was the CAQ’s deputy house leader and critic for the Treasury Board and public administration in the last session of the National Assembly, admitted that accepting the loan might have been a mistake, but said he did so at a difficult time in his personal life and has since paid it back.
The revelation left CAQ Leader François Legault defending one of his candidates over an ethical issue for the second time in two days.
Speaking to reporters during a campaign stop at an entrepreneurship school in St-Georgesde-Beauce, Legault acknowledged the loan had “the appearance of a conflict of interest” and “was a mistake,” but said that there was no suggestion of corruption and it was just a loan between friends.
Since Caire has paid the money back, the matter is resolved and there is no need for him to step down as candidate, the CAQ leader said.
In a letter to Caire dated April 17 and released to reporters by the CAQ Wednesday, National Assembly Ethics Commissioner Ariane Mignolet ordered Caire to correct the situation by June 16. Caire said he complied.
“Considering that Mr. Loranger is the representative of a municipality that is part of the riding of La Peltrie, (some words redacted), this personal loan places you in a situation of potential conflict of interest under Articles 15 and 16 of the code,” Mignolet writes.
On Tuesday night, L’Ancienne-Lorette’s acting mayor, Sylvie Falardeau, revealed that Loranger had loaned the money to Caire and his ex-wife, Marie-Ève Lemay, last year. At that time, Lemay was Loranger’s chief of staff.
The couple had made an offer to buy a home in L’Ancienne-Lorette, but split up shortly afterward and had to make payments on two residences.
Four municipal councillors in L’Ancienne-Lorette quit Loranger’s party Tuesday evening following the revelation.
In June, Caire spoke for the CAQ following revelations that party president Stéphane Le Bouyonnec was chairman of the board of Techbanx, an Ontario online loan service that charges astronomical interest rates that would be illegal in Quebec. Caire said at the time that Le Bouyonnec’s association with the loans company “was not (in keeping with) the CAQ’s values.”
On Tuesday, Le Bouyonnec stepped down as party president and candidate in La Prairie.
Earlier Wednesday, Legault introduced six candidates he said would be part of a large team of financial heavyweights who will guide his government’s economic policies if he is elected premier.
In a speech to young entrepreneurs in St-Georges, Legault boasted that 35 of the party’s 125 candidates have impressive expertise on the economy.
The six financial stars were: Banking executive Éric Girard, who is running in Groulx, north of Laval, and is touted as Legault’s pick for finance minister if he is elected.
Businessman Pierre Fitzgibbon, running in Terrebonne.
Nadine Girault, a board member of Investissement Québec and candidate in Bertrand.
Joëlle Boutin, a pioneer in promoting business opportunities for women, running in Jean-Talon.
Aeronautical entrepreneur
Marie Chantal Chassé, running in Châteauguay.
Engineer Gilles Bélanger, running in Orford.
Legault promised to found four new schools for future entrepreneurs, in the Saguenay—Lac-StJean, Chaudière-Appalaches, South Shore and Laurentians regions, at a cost of $3 million.
He also promised to set up a $1-million bursary program at the École d’entrepreneurship de Beauce in St- Georges and to make training in entrepreneurship part of the financial education curriculum Quebec’s high schools offer in secondary five.
Legault said he would also cut red tape at Investissement Québec, an agency responsible for stimulating investment in businesses.