The leaders of Quebec’s major parties have disclosed the details of their personal finances just one week before the Quebec election.
Quebec Liberal Party Leader Philippe Couillard was the last of the leaders to reveal his audited documents — he had said earlier in the campaign that he would not reveal his finances but changed his mind.
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As of Dec. 31, his assets were evaluated at $659,402, with a net worth of about $442,000.
“You’ll see that politics has not made us rich,” he said Monday before unveiling his documents.
He also has $230,512 in a retirement savings plan.
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Last year, Couillard declared $198,000 in employment income as premier of Quebec, as well as capital gains of $814.56.
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His wife, Suzanne Pilote, has assets evaluated around $1.1 million, mostly in property totalling $638,500.
The couple paid $6,150 in municipal taxes in 2017; the total value of their property in Saint-Felicien is valued at $490,000.
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Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) Leader François Legault, who founded Air Transat in 1986, was the first to disclose his personal wealth of $9.9 million.
“It is my pleasure to disclose my assets, but I also think it’s an obligation to be transparent,” he said, insisting Quebecers have “the right to know.”
This includes a $4.5-million Montreal home on which he and his wife, Isabelle Brais, pay about $36,000 a year in municipal taxes.
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Her tax declaration showed a $0 annual salary.
Legault noted he has no bank accounts outside of Canada.
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Parti Québécois (PQ) Leader Jean-François Lisée‘s net worth was declared at about $1.95 million.
He released both his provincial and federal tax returns.
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He explained he acquired his assets by selling books, offering freelance services, lecturing and being “economical.”
His most recent municipal tax document was $3,771.87; his home, located in La Cite-Limoilou, is assessed at $379,000.
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He also owns 40 per cent of a property in Montreal, estimated at a shared value of $468,000.
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Lisée’s financial statements also show a $71,000 line of credit.
“I think my assets are healthy,” he said.
“I still have a mortgage to pay, I have a line of credit, I have a lot of money in my children’s saving’s plans.”
Lisée also received an inheritance from his father in the early 1990s.
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Québec Solidaire spokesperson Manon Massé‘s salary was declared at $96,860.
She had no assets to reveal, but she did provide her income tax return for 2017.
According to the document, she made donations totalling $3,150, including $2,300 to the Women’s Federation of Quebec.
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— with files from The Canadian Press.
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