The big boss of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, a labor fund that benefits from hefty tax credits from Quebec and Ottawa, refuses to comment on the controversial Saudi fund’s investment in companies affiliated with Groupe CH, even though she sits to its Board of Directors (CA).
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“I will not comment,” said Janie C. Béïque, when The newspaper wanted to know if “the values” of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) also reflected those of the Quebec fund.
“I have no power of influence”, she justified herself, cutting short the questions, even if the Fonds de solidarité FTQ is a shareholder of the CH.
Note that in addition to being the head of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Janie C. Béïque sits on the Board of Groupe CH alongside Andrew and Geoff Molson.
Last year, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ recognized the Journal having expressed his discomfort to the direction of the CH about the draft of Logan Mailloux, but this time, it is word and mouth sewn.
Controversial partner
Last Saturday, our Bureau of Investigation revealed that the controversial PIF, led by Mohammed ben Salmane, discreetly integrated the group of owners of the big family of the Montreal Canadiens during the pandemic.
In 2020, PIF invested more than US$520 million in Live Nation, which owns nearly half of Group CH’s events division.
However, yesterday, the Fonds FTQ, which has “people at the heart” of its investments, was unable to comment on Saudi Arabia’s heavy human rights record.
According to Amnesty International, this country has executed 129 people since the beginning of the year.