The former Premier of Quebec Jean Charest, who will launch tomorrow in the race for the Conservative leadership, has multiplied his business relations in the upper echelons over the past ten years.
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In mid-January, Mr. Charest, who has already come out in favor of the application of Bill 101 in companies under federal jurisdiction, was appointed to the board of directors of Canadian National, of which the new big boss only speaks. ‘English.
Jean Charest carried the files of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada so that Ottawa supports this sector hit during the pandemic.
Chinese customers
While Ottawa has not yet said if it will ban the 5G network of the Chinese giant Huawei, Jean Charest has been a consultant for the firm, according to The Globe and Mail.
Last October, in front of a business audience in Montreal, the ex-star politician had been transparent about his links with Chinese companies.
“I should tell you, for the sake of honesty, I have Chinese clients,” said the partner at McCarthy Tétrault.
Invited by The newspaper to react to Jean Charest’s arrival, the Chinese Consulate General in Montreal said it was ready “to work with all Canadian friends to further develop bilateral relations”.
In addition to China, Jean Charest has co-chaired the Canada-United Arab Emirates Business Council, whose mission is to facilitate trade between the two countries, since March 1, 2018.
His name appears on their website, but Jean Charest was unable to answer our questions yesterday, given his “extremely busy” schedule.
Last October, his employer McCarthy Tétrault clarified that he “sits on the board of the latter at the request of the Government of Canada”.
Highly esteemed in Africa
In Quebec, Jean Charest, who promoted the Plan Nord, also chaired the board of Windiga Energy, which has projects in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Senegal.
“Jean in Africa, he has an exceptional aura. He is probably the most recognized and loved Canadian in Africa”, goes so far as to say its CEO, Benoit La Salle, who remembers having made several trips with him.
According to Michel Séguin, professor of ethics and governance at UQAM’s School of Management Sciences, Jean Charest’s time in business could allow him to make informed decisions in politics.
“The fact that he has sat on various councils can give him a finer understanding of the different files,” he analyzed.
“He will have to be careful to manage this by being transparent,” he concluded, however.
Some of companies that have used the services of Jean Charest
- Canadian National
- Windiga Energy
- Tikehau Capital
- TransCanada
- Robco
- Velan
- Costco
- Huawei
- Publicis
◆ Jean Charest is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a private organization that “brings together individual leaders from the worlds of business, government, academia, press and media, and civil society,” according to their website.
– With the collaboration of Pascal Dugas Bourdon and Guillaume St-Pierre
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com