The Mayor of Montreal, Denis Coderre, apparently has a side-job. He has appeared in an ad for St-Hubert Restaurants, clearly identified as himself and making a joke about salad in a mock City Council session. The pay he got for appearing did go to the charity of his choice, La rue des Femmes, so he’s not personally profiting.
Does that make it okay? If the mayor appeared in an ad for La rue des Femmes, that would be one thing, and clearly
unproblematic. If he donated to the charity, same thing. But this is different. He is shilling for a corporation while
sitting in office as the elected representative of the people of Montreal.
Corporations paying politicians in campaign contributions is nothing new. Politicians then turning around and supporting their donors through legislation isn’t a new phenomenon either. This, though, is something else. It’s blatant, strange and legally questionable.
Have a view for yourself:
What do you think of Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre appearing in a St-Hubert commercial? Is it just a fun idea to raise money or something that is incredibly problematic for Montreal’s democracy
