Open letter on the TGF: a signatory is said to have been “manipulated” by the CAQ

File Photo, Simon Clark
The name of the general president of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Trois-Rivières, Amélie St-Pierre, is found alongside that of the mp caquiste of deux-Montagnes Benoit Charette (photo) in this missive where there is a request to the government Couillard to support the project to train high frequency (TGF) VIA Rail.

Patrick Bellerose

Wednesday, 31 January 2018 12:54

UPDATE
Wednesday, 31 January 2018 14:47

Look at this article

The Chamber of commerce and industry of Trois-Rivières ensures that she didn’t know that the CAQ cosignerait the open letter asking the government Couillard to support the project to train high frequency of VIA Rail.

• READ ALSO: Link between Quebec city and Montreal: Couillard prepared to support the project VIA Rail

“I feel manipulated,” says the director-general of the organization, Marie-Pier Matteau.

The name of the general president of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Trois-Rivières, Amélie St-Pierre, is found alongside that of the mp caquiste of Two-Mountains, Benoit Charette, in this missive, aimed to challenge the government Couillard.

Marie-Pier Matteau recalls that the Chamber is apolitical and that she would have refused to co-sign with a political party if he had been informed. “There was never any question that we co-wrote with the CAQ,” she assures. […] Ever, the Chamber of commerce and industry of Trois-Rivières would have co-signed with QSL. It has never been policy, and there never will.”

“Small policy”

“I feel that there has been manipulation of the CAQ”, she repeats. Marie-Pier Matteau believes that the signature of the member has been added to the time to send the letter to the media. “That, I don’t take it. She was not in the letter, the signature-there,” she said.

Marie-Pier Matteau calls the move “petty politics”. “If I had taken a position in this sense, I would have assumed”, she says.

Without asking for a formal apology, the director-general considers that the QCA should “at least indicate that they have never clearly said that they were to sign this letter.”

The CAQ ned

For its part, the CAQ denies having added his signature without the knowledge of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Trois-Rivières.

The formation of François Legault said they have sought the support of the body via the Federation of chambers of commerce of Quebec. “When they sent the letter for approval, there was already the name of Benoit Charette was said above,” says a press officer for the QSL, Emilia Toussaint.

“The Chamber of commerce of Trois-Rivières we even made a proposal for amendment in the letter, that it was chosen”, she adds.

The imbroglio between the CAQ and the Room could be the result of poor communication with the representative Federation of chambers of commerce of Quebec. The CAQ has sent the Newspaper an e-mail where the latter approves the final version, including the signing of Benoit Charette. “It is ok for the 2 rooms,” he wrote.

More details will follow…