Admitted error
He also acknowledged the facts at a press briefing on September 19, ensuring that the error had been quickly corrected.
“Those who complain about that use state resources in a considerable way, political employees, ministerial limousines” to campaign in Jean-Talon, he responded.
The message sent by Mr. Bérubé invited citizens to lend a hand to the Parti Québécois (PQ) to elect its candidate in Jean-Talon, Pascal Paradis.
Mr. Laframboise was outraged that “not only is the MP sending an email to a large number of people to solicit their partisan involvement in a by-election, he is also asking them to send him names and contact details to his email address of the National Assembly.”
The commissioner announced, on September 22, that she was postponing the analysis of the complaint against the PQ member, explaining that the response to the request for an investigation risked to have repercussions on the by-election.
Friday, Ms. Mignolet indicated that Pascal Bérubé had been informed in writing of the opening of an investigation into him. As usual, this will be conducted behind closed doors.
“No comments will be made during the investigation process. Once this is completed, a report […] will be sent to the presidency of the National Assembly who will make it public,” she explained in the press release.