2023-10-28 15:34:44
If she does not regret her action, Pauline Marois admits that it was the Montreal Heart Institute which initiated the public outing of the six former prime ministers once morest the CAQ reform of the health system.
• Read also: The six ex-PMs invited for more transparency by the lobbying commissioner
• Read also: Health reform: an influential lobby behind the exit of the six ex-PMs
• Read also: Letter from the six ex-prime ministers: Quebec does not flinch in the face of pressure from ex-PMs
“I was contacted by one of the leaders of all this, but it came from the institutions themselves,” she admitted on Saturday, on the sidelines of the National Council of the Parti Québécois. I know that Éric Bédard is one of those who spoke to me. I spoke to Lucien Bouchard.
The former prime minister, however, made it clear that she is able to make her own decisions. “I’m quite tall. I have enough experience, she insisted. We did it in the name of the establishments, we do not do it in the name of any people hidden behind the curtains.”
Our Parliamentary Office revealed this week that the letter from former PMs inviting François Legault to step back on his health reform, in particular in order to maintain the independence of research centers and foundations, was led by the Cardiology Institute of Montreal, which maintains important financial ties with the Desmarais family. Éric Bédard is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute and Managing Partner in the major law firm Fasken.
As The Journal in 2020, the wealthy Desmarais family largely finances the Heart Institute. But the owners of Power Corporation also have significant financial interests there, such as the development of a drug called dalcetrapib, developed from funded research carried out by its researchers.
Lobbying Commissioner
The Lobbying Commissioner called on the six former prime ministers to be more transparent regarding the interests they defend as part of their public outing this week. According to Me Jean-François Routhier, these ex-politicians should set an example, even if the law on lobbying does not expressly apply to their case since their efforts were made on a voluntary basis.
“When we embark on this approach, we do it with complete transparency, with complete honesty and above all, out of a deep conviction that the health system would be better served,” reacted Pauline Marois, who added that everything was compliant with lobbying law.
The former prime minister has no regrets. “I believe it is a worthy cause.” According to her, research centers and foundations must have more autonomy to be able to fully assume their responsibilities.
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