Quebec Housing Minister France-Élaine Duranceau, “abusively favoured the personal interests” of one of her friends, national assembly ethics commissioner Ariane Mignolet has concluded.

“The evidence shows that they had a significant relationship of proximity and that a business relationship existed between them at the time of the events. The Minister played an active and decisive role in acting as a drop-off point for interventions against her office in the absence of a clear and defined procedure for dealing with the organization of meetings,” reads the press release from the ethics commissioner’s office.

The commissioner opened an investigation last June into a meeting between Duranceau and her friend and business partner, Annie Lemieux, who also acted as a lobbyist for her and Seniors Minister Sonia Bélanger.

“A person cannot benefit from direct, privileged access to a minister simply because he or she has the minister’s personal contact details. It is clear that in the presence of a significant proximity link, there must be a watertight boundary separating the personal and professional spheres of an elected person’s life,” Mignolet stated.

Despite this code of ethics breach, the commissioner is not recommending any sanction against Duranceau.

– This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 30, 2023.