Pierre Beaudoin: Bombardier Chairman; Power Corporation Director

1. Important Links

(1) https://canucklaw.ca/desmarais-power-corp-canadas-globalist-politicians-bombardier-loblaws/
(2) https://canucklaw.ca/desmarais-power-corp-linked-to-air-canada-agenda-2030-trudeau-foundation/
(3) https://www.powercorporation.com/en/governance/board-directors/#pierre-beaudoin
(4) http://archive.is/PBros
(5) https://www.bombardier.com/en/about-us/management/biography-page.bio-pierrebeaudoin.html
(6) http://archive.is/W4jJ2
(7) https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/vwRg?cno=344715&regId=862759
(8) http://archive.is/U0LbK
(9) https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/at-least-20-people-including-bombardier-head-donated-maximum-allowed-to-both-liberals-and-conservatives-in-2018
(10) http://archive.is/1jUEf
(11) https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/who-canadas-ten-most-generous-political-donors-have-contributed-to/article26793752/
(12) http://archive.is/M52l7
(13) https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/conservative-government-covered-expenses-for-top-ceos-travelling-with-stephen-harper-on-china-tour
(14) http://archive.is/ThMon
(15) https://globalnews.ca/news/3346938/trudeau-bombardier-aid-executives/
(16) http://archive.is/Xhb0v

2. Beaudoin Lobbies As Bombardier Chair

Subject Matter Details
.
Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit
Obtain financial support from Canada with respect to various research and development initiatives.
Obtain financial support from Industry Canada under the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative for research and development.
.
Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit, Policies or Program
Management of ongoing projects reated to various research and development initiatives.
.
Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution
Enhance research and development tax incentives under the Income Tax Act, including Investment Tax Credits (ITC)
Obtain support from Export Development Canada (EDC) with respect to transportation equipment procurement.
.
Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Policies or Program
Tax legislation and policies affecting the innovation and manufacturing of global firms operating in Canada.
.
Policies or Program
Canada’s participation in the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation Development consensus financing guidelines pertaining to sales financing framework.
Canada’s support for the development of standard for rail technology.
Canada’s support for the development of the rail industry.
Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft Program with regard to procurement of aircraft.
Define appropriate levels for aircraft certification at Transport Canada.
Economic and trade agreements with respect to equal market access with other countries.
Establish appropriate regulations for export permits and controlled goods.
Expansion of various air services agreements under Canada’s Blue Sky Policy.
Obtain support from Canada to enable Export Development Canada (EDC) to provide customer financing of aircraft.
The protection and promotion of Canada’s access to global markets.
.
Policies or Program, Regulation
Canada’s participation in potential plurilateral discussions around the WTO on aerospace and ways to strengthen them.
Canada’s support for the development of a skilled workforce.
.
Regulation
Changes to the civil aviation regulations with respect to private operators.

Government Institutions
Bank of Canada
Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC)
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
Export Development Canada (EDC)
Finance Canada (FIN)
Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
House of Commons
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Infrastructure Canada (INFC)
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
National Defence (DND)
National Research Council (NRC)
Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)
Privy Council Office (PCO)
Public Safety Canada (PS)
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)
Transport Canada (TC)
Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS)

Please note: that Bombardier has been lobbying the Federal Government a lot longer than Beaudoin himself has been registered as a lobbyist. However, since 2015, he has gotten his own hands dirty with it.

While Beaudoin himself is listed 18 times (18 communications reports) with the Federal Government and Federal officials, Bombardier itself is listed in 809 communications reports.

3. Anthony Graham: Bombardier/Power Corp

Anthony Graham is a Director at Power Corporation, at Bombardier. He shares the same conflict of interest that Pierre Beaudoin has. Graham is also the Vice Chairman of Whittington Investments (busy man), which owns the Weston Loblaws Group.

4. Beaudoin Donates To Both LPC/CPC

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for the Liberals highlighted the “growing success” of their grassroots fundraising and emphasized the implementation of transparency rules around the party’s fundraising events.

A spokesperson for the Conservative party said if someone “chooses to donate to multiple parties, they’re within the rules to do just that.” He said due to the volume of donations the party receives, the number of dual-party donors was not particularly notable.

People who max out their individual donations to both parties are “hedging their bets” ahead of the fall election, according to Duff Conacher, the head of Democracy Watch, an ethics watchdog.

“With those donations, they are able to at least buy access to the top people in the parties, and having that access gives them a chance to have influence over their decisions,” Conacher said.

An article by the National Post highglighted how many wealthy and influential people were donating to both the Liberals and Conservatives. The rationale being, that regardless of who wins, those donors will have access to the politicians at the top.

The National Post isn’t wrong about their claim. Looking up “election financing” on the Elections Canada website confirms the allegations.

While it was nice of the National Post to bring this issue up, they missed the chance to do a spectacular piece of investigative journalism by not going further and publishing all of their findings. Oh well.

5. Beaudoin Always Playing Both Sides

And in the year 2019, Beaudoin donated the same amount to both the Conservative Party, and the Liberal Party. In 2017, Beaudoin again donated to both parties. In fact, he did so on the same day. Playing both sides it seems.

Notice the pattern here? Beaudoin routinely donates to both major Federal parties. It’s almost as if he expects access and favours, regardless of who wins.

Note: There are several Pierre Beaudoins but this will focus on the one I believe is him. (Disclaimer: he may be using multiple addresses in the donations). This is under the address of WESTMOUNT QC H3Y1K8.

Date Amount $ Received
2006 Feb 21 $2000 CPC
2006 Apr 30 $2500 LPC
2006 Sep 29 $1000 Bob Rae
2006 Sep 29 $1000 LPC
2008 Oct 07 $1100 CPC
2009 Mar 03 $1000 CPC
2010 Apr 06 $1000 CPC
2011 Sep 09 $1100 CPC
2012 Mar 16 $1200 CPC
2013 Feb 01 $1200 CPC
2013 Mar 11 $600 J. Trudeau
2013 Dec 28 $1197 LPC
2014 Nov 26 $1200 CPC
2014 Nov 27 $1178 LPC
2015 Apr 10 $1500 CPC
2015 Apr 17 $1200 LPC
2015 Oct 02 $300 LPC
2015 Oct 02 $1500 LPC
2016 Feb 19 $1500 CPC
2016 Feb 23 $1500 LPC

Again, there are other Pierre Beaudoins (who may be him) with different postal codes. However, all of the above donations came from a single postal code.

6. Donations From Desmarais Family

This chart ONLY includes Helene Desmarais, wife of Paul Desmarais Jr. and Chair of the Montreal Economic Institute.

Date Amount $ Received
2004 Jun 09 $5000 CPC, Vernier
2004 Jun 30 $5000 LPC
2005 Jan 20 $5000 CPC
2005 Jan 31 $5000 LPC
2006 Apr 30 $5000 LPC
2006 Apr 30 $1000 LPC
2006 Apr 30 $2000 LPC
2006 Dec 31 $5000 LPC
2007 Jan 01 $1000 CPC
2007 Feb 08 $1000 CPC
2008 Sep 30 $500 Maxime Bernier
2009 Jan 21 $1000 CPC
2009 Feb 19 $1100 LPC
2010 Apr 30 $1100 CPC
2010 May 31 $1171 LPC
2010 Jun 01 $1100 LPC
2011 Mar 14 $923 Beauce Riding Ass’n
2012 Apr 09 $901 Beauce Riding Ass’n
2014 Mar 19 $1000 Beauce Riding Ass’n
2014 Mar 26 $500 LPC
2014 Apr 24 $1200 CPC
2015 Feb 20 $5000 Beauce Riding Ass’n
2015 May 28 $1000 CPC
2015 Nov 09 $1200 LPC
2016 Mar 18 $1500 LPC
2016 Oct 13 $1000 Maxime Bernier
2016 Oct 17 $300 CPC
2017 May 12 $1550 CPC
2017 May 15 $1500 CPC
2018 Mar 16 $1500 LPC
2018 Mar 22 $1575 CPC

And these donations, which are clearly directed to both the Liberal and Conservative parties, is just one member of the Desmarais family.

7. Desmarais & Beaudoin Big Donors

Desmarais family – $290,000
To the Liberals: $190,000
To the Conservatives: $100,000
The influential clan behind Quebec’s Power Corp. of Canada has donated $290,000 over the past decade, slightly favouring the Liberals. The total includes donations from patriarch Paul Desmarais, who died in 2013, wife Jacqueline, sons Paul Jr. and André, who now jointly lead the company, along with daughters Louise and Sophie as well as several grandchildren.

Laurent Beaudoin and the Bombardier family – $213,000
To the Liberals: $132,000
To the Conservatives: $81,000
The Quebec family that controls Bombardier Inc. has donated more than $200,000, with the largest share going to the Liberals. Donors include chairman emeritus Laurent Beaudoin, wife Claire Bombardier Beaudoin, son Pierre, who stepped down as CEO this year, along with other relatives who make up the controlling shareholders of Bombardier.

The Globe & Mail did a piece on major donors and how they tend to donate to both parties. The Beaudoin and Desmarais families are the two biggest, but there are other players.

It doesn’t take much to understand the reason behind this: these families want to have influence, regardless of which party wins power. Paying off all sides is apparently how you do it.

8. Beaudoin Took Trip With Harper

Corporations and associations — including Bombardier, Cenovus Nuclear Energy, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and Cameco — confirmed that the government paid for portions of the expenses, with the amount varying from firm to firm.

“We’ll leave it to the government to confirm those expenses. We won’t comment any further on that,” Isabelle Rondeau, director of communications at Bombardier, said of CEO Pierre Beaudoin’s participation.

Pretty influential to get an all inclusive trip with the PM, to be covered by taxpayers. And considering how often Bombardier needs to be bailed out, it is hardly a success story.

9. Why Maxime Bernier Bailed Out Bombardier

As stated earlier, Pierre Beaudoin holds dual roles: one as the Chairman of Bombardier, another as a Director of Power Corporation, owned by the Desmarais family. The conflict of interest here cannot be understated.

Andre Desmarais and Paul Desmarais Jr. are the sons of Paul Desmarais Sr. They control Power Corporation now. Helene Desmarais is Paul Jr.’s wife, and is the Chair of the Montreal Economic Institute. Side Note: Andre Desmarais is ex-PM Chretien’s son-in-law. He married Frances Chretien. Other side note: Peter MacKay used to date Sophie Desmarais.

Let’s take a look at someone Helene Desmarais has been donating to, and the riding associations she has been donating to. Bear in mind, she has donated 5 times to riding associations (according to Elections Canada records), once to Laurier Saint-Marie, and 4 times to Beauce.

Date Amount $ Received
2008 Sep 30 $500 Maxime Bernier
2011 Mar 14 $923 Beauce Riding Ass’n
2012 Apr 09 $901 Beauce Riding Ass’n
2014 Mar 19 $1000 Beauce Riding Ass’n
2015 Feb 20 $5000 Beauce Riding Ass’n
2016 Oct 13 $1000 Maxime Bernier

Explaining the Bombardier bailout (when Maxime Bernier was Industry Minister) isn’t difficult. Let’s connect the dots here:

Bombardier Chairman, Pierre Beaudoin works for ==>
Paul Desmarais Jr, who’s married to ==>
Helene Desmarais, who runs the ==>
Montreal Economic Institute, which employed ==>
Maxime Bernier, who became the ==>
Industry Minister, who has power to ==>
Hand out taxpayer money

Here’s an even simpler connection:
Pierre Beaudoin ==> Desmarais Family ==> Bernier

Of course, that is just one bailout that Bombardier has received over the years. Because of the Beaudoin/Desmarais connection, and Desmarais owning so many politicians, the bailout money keeps coming in.

10. Bombardier Exec Pocket Bailout Money

Total compensation for the Montreal-based manufacturer’s top five executives and board chairman Pierre Beaudoin was US$32.6 million in 2016, up from US$21.9 million the year before, according to a proxy circular ahead of Bombardier’s annual meeting on May 11

CEO Alain Bellemare received US$9.5 million, up from US$6.4 million in 2015, including US$5.2 million in share and option-based awards and a US$1 million salary. His annual bonus almost doubled to US$2.36 million.

Beaudoin’s total compensation increased to US$5.25 million from US$3.85 million a year earlier.

Global News reported that Bombardier in 2017 will be getting a $372 million “loan” package. Interesting how the executives who run Bombardier into the ground get larger bonuses. Beaudoin himself will be getting an extra $10 million, about a 50% increase. Not bad for being such a screwup.

11. Political Connections = Bailouts

Pierre Beaudoin and Anthony Graham are both Directors at Power Corporation (owned by the Desmarais family), and govern Bombardier. This is a huge conflict of interest.

Bombardier has spent significant time and money lobbying politicians. Pierre Beaudoin has taken it upon himself to do some of the lobbying personally. Beaudoin also has a lengthy track record for donating to both major parties — meaning he gets access regardless of who wins.

These bailouts are little more than political money laundering. Taxpayer funds go to Bombardier, and executives use part of it to increase their bonuses.

All of this needs to stop.

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