The support of Quebec, Michaëlle Jean, will be subject to a governance that is more transparent

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Philippe Couillard and the honourable Michaëlle Jean,

Marc-André Gagnon

Thursday, 1 march 2018 18:14

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Thursday, 1 march 2018 18:14

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STONEHAM | support Quebec’s second mandate sought by the honourable Michaëlle Jean, at the head of the international Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) will be subject to more transparency, and more accountability, confirms Philippe Couillard.

• READ ALSO: Couillard will meet with Michaelle Jean in Paris

“It is normal for people to ask for more transparency,” said the premier of Quebec, after the Bureau investigation has revealed that Mr. Couillard will use his visit to Paris next week to meet with the secretary general of the OIF.

“I want to, of course, the meet. This would not be normal that the prime minister of Quebec, to Paris, which is the seat of the OIF, is not meeting with the person who runs it. All the more that it is Quebec itself,” said Mr. Couillard.

The prime minister has also confirmed the information reported by our Bureau of investigation, to the effect that Quebec and Canada are calling for a significant improvement of the governance of the OIF.

Expenses controversial

Remember that the media, in France as in Canada, have made noises over the last few months of the expenditure incurred by Ms. Jean since her arrival in this position to the OIF.

In 2016, the French newspaper, The Opinion found that a stay of the ex-governor general of Canada to the luxurious Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York had cost US $50,000 to the OIF.

The French newspaper had also reported that Mrs. John had to spend the purchase of a grand piano of about $ 20,000 over the expenses of the organization.

In June of last year, our Bureau of investigation has also been spending a half-million dollars made out of public funds to renovate the official residence rented to Ms. Jean in Paris.

Rigour and transparency

To the extent that the organization demonstrates that it heard the message sent “to many times” by his government to the OIF, Mr. Couillard will continue to support Ms. Jean.

“Listen, we are happy that Quebec is there, said Mr. Couillard. We will continue, of course, to support it, but we will also continue to ask the organization a greater degree of rigour and transparency in the management of its affairs.”

“Currently, I see no other candidate could do as much as what it does for the francophonie”, he stressed.

The Canadian of haitian origin briguera a second term at the head of the OIF at the Summit of the Francophonie, which will take place in Armenia, the 11th and 12th of October next.