The Commissioner for Ethics and Professional Conduct has launched an investigation into “breach of ethics and professional conduct” by the minister responsible for housing France-Elain Duranzo.
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“On December 5, 2022, the facts related to the Minister’s participation in a professional meeting with his friend and business partner, Ms. Annie Lemieux, who acted as a lobbyist with him in this context and the Minister responsible for the elderly,” Commissioner Ariane Mignolet said in a press release.
The inquiry was launched following a request by Liberal MP Manchef Terraji, who told Ms Mignolet that she had “reasonable grounds to believe that the minister has breached sections 15 and 16 of the Conflict of Interest Act”.
In his motion, Mr. Terraji pointed to the short interval between Ms Duranzo’s swearing-in as housing minister and the meeting between her and Annie Lemieux, a partner in several real estate companies. Both women are business partners in three companies.
On Monday, Prime Minister François Legault defended her minister, pointing out that the two women’s business was “no longer viable” and that the meeting came as Ms Lemieux was reviewing Residences for the Elderly (RPA). )
“This has nothing to do with what they did in the past,” whispered the Prime Minister.
Shortly after his inauguration, Minister Duranso also sought an opinion from the Ethics Commissioner to ensure that he was not exposed to a conflict of interest due to his ownership of real estate companies.
The minister’s office indicated it had received the green light from Ms Mignolet last March, without making her opinion public.
