“Die liberal of hydrogen”: a framework of conflict of interest in mission in Japan with her husband, a lobbyist for Toyota

Photo courtesy
On the 18th of January last, at the auto Show of Montreal, the government Couillard has announced a partnership with the manufacturer Toyota to test its hydrogen car Mirai (in the photo). Quebec and Ottawa will also be charging stations.

Charles Lecavalier

Thursday, 15 February 2018 14:24

UPDATE
Thursday, 15 February 2018 14:26

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The government Couillard has approved the participation of a high-graded Transition énergétique Québec to a mission of development of the hydrogen sector in Japan, in the company of his spouse is a lobbyist for Toyota.

• READ ALSO: Seven friends of the LPQ and LPC lobbyists for the auto to hydrogen
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“We can participate in a mission without taking part in the discussions that affect the supply chain of hydrogen. She was there in support of technology”, justified the minister of natural Resources, Pierre Moreau, during the question period.

M. Moreau found himself in trouble after the member pq Sylvain Gaudreault had revealed that Michelle St-Jean, director, corporate Transition énergétique Québec (TEQ), has participated in a mission to Japan in September 2017, three months after having declared a conflict of interest because of his relationship with the lobbyist for Toyota, Martin Geoffroy, who was political secretary of the ex-liberal premier Daniel Johnson.

The question is tricky, because TEQ has funded a pilot project of service station to hydrogen. The Journal revealed yesterday that seven relatives of the LPQ and LPC have become lobbyists in the offensive designed to promote the automobile to hydrogen, which has just received financial support from the governments Couillard and Trudeau.

The pq Gaudreault has pointed out that Pierre Moreau did not tell everything on Wednesday in omitting the trip of Ms. St-Jean in Japan.

Pierre Moreau has argued that measures have been put in place, without clarifying them. “From the moment the situation is known to the president of Transition energy Quebec, from the moment Ms. St. John made his statement voluntarily, the measures are put in place,” replied Mr. Moreau. He says there has been no “contact” between Ms. St-Jean and the chain of hydrogen, an assertion that provoked the taunts of the member Agnès Maltais, who argued that it was difficult to avoid contact when sleeping in the same hotel room.

Pierre Moreau has indicated that his predecessor, Pierre Arcand, who is now president of the treasury Board, was “informed about this situation” and that “measures have been taken”.

The response did not meet Sylvain Gaudreault, who has requested an investigation to shed light on the “stream liberal of hydrogen”.

Pierre Moreau has then accused the official opposition of being sexist. “In the 21st century, we do not believe that the employment of a person of the female sex depends on the job held by her husband”, he lamented. “I have no reason to think that the president of TEQ does not comply with the provisions to prevent the relationship between Ms. St-Jean and the people of the sector to hydrogen, I am absolutely convinced”, he added.

He then stated that “if [the Parti québécois] you want an investigation, you will make it if, one day, you are the government, we won’t do it”.