A show with a liberal flavor

Health Network employees felt that Gregory Charles had won showy tickets, thanking them for their efforts during the epidemic. Instead they found themselves at an election-related event hosted by the Liberal MP this weekend.

“You won two tickets to attend the Gregory Charles Exhibition at an event hosted by the CIUS Center-Sud-de-L’Ile-de-Montreal. The allotment of tickets was done by putting lots and one of the employees you won ”.

This is an email received by several dozen employees of this healthcare company on April 28th.

So these workers came in large numbers to Notre Dame-des-Sept-Dowlers Church in Verdun on Sunday afternoon.

Five months before the general election, they quickly noticed that the event had strong political interest:

• A color brochure with several photos praising the achievements of Verdun MNA Isabelle Melan‌con was distributed at the entrance and placed on each pedestal of the church.
• PLQ leader Dominic Angled attended. She had the opportunity to chat with many citizens and posted photos of the event on Twitter‌.
• Addressed by MP Melancon. She shared her great pride in hosting the event on her Facebook page. “Any day! I’m still in Cloud Nine! I’m so happy to welcome almost 600 people,” she wrote exclusively.

• Upon leaving the church, Isabelle Melan‌con presented a thank-you card with a photo to the employees who attended the demonstration.

“Political event”

“When we noticed that this was a political event, we decided to leave. Many were amazed at what they were doing there, ”said one person in the audience and requesting anonymity.

According to this participant, people still seemed to appreciate the artist’s performance.

“The concert went wonderfully. Gregory Charles is good Is performed “, She adds.

According to Jeremy Gio, director of communications at Dominic Anglade’s office, the event was “organized by Church Factory with the assistance of the Isabelle Melan‌con constituency office.”

With public funds

Mr. Gio, a member of the Verdun, said he had allocated $ 15,058 public funds to the event from his prudent budget, at a cost authorized by the National Assembly.

This amount was used to pay “room rent and equipment”, as well as “a small portion of Gregory’s stamp”, who could not say how much the stamp amounted to.

The email we contacted was sent to the “winning employees” of CIUSSS, with no indication of the political nature of the event.

Jean-Nicholas Abe, CIUSSS Media Relations Senior Adviser, initially shared the invitation with the organizers, saying “it’s very clear that Ms. Isabelle Melan‌con is hosting a special event to thank those in the front row. From the beginning of the epidemic.”

According to him, this information may not have been communicated to some employees.

Not in his plans

Gregory Charles, for his part, ensures that this incident is not seen as a reference to the relationship between himself and the PLQ.

“I do not know if Dominic Anglade was there. […] I have never done political events. I do not have a party card, ”he explained over the phone.

He sees the concert as a corporate event, “I do 100 a year”.

The artist, who took a public outing on education last week, reiterated that he had “zero” intent to stand in the October 3 election.

But he adds: [En politique] It’s like wartime. If we need to, it’s silly to say no.