Quebec opposition parties denounce $6.5M subsidy to Presidents Cup golf tournament

QUÉBEC — François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec government was forced on Wednesday to defend its $6.5-million subsidy to the Presidents Cup golf tournament amid criticism from opposition parties that said the funds could have been put to better use.

The Quebec Liberals, the Parti Québécois and Québec solidaire took turns denouncing the subsidy, noting the province’s $11-billion deficit and the urgent need for better public services.

“Quebec is in the red,” Liberal legislature member Marwah Rizqy told a press conference in Quebec City, reminding reporters about a recent report that a junior college in Montreal had “trouble replacing a toilet” because of a lack of funds.

The criticism is reminiscent of the accusations opposition parties made last year against the CAQ after it was revealed the government would spend up to $7 million to have the Los Angeles Kings play two NHL exhibition games in Quebec City in early October.

Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, the legislature leader of Québec solidaire, said the CAQ should have learned from the Kings scandal. “But no, it continues,” he said, adding that $6.5 million would support a community organization “for a decade.”

The Kings will spend part of their training camp in Quebec City, where they’ll play pre-season games against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 3 and the Florida Panthers on Oct. 5. As of Wednesday, hundreds of tickets remained available for the games.

Nadeau-Dubois said the golf tournament money would have been better spent on basic services rather than “luxuries.”

“They tell us there isn’t enough money for our (junior colleges) to buy books, to provide good public transport service … to finance community groups,” he said.

“So there’s not enough money for all that, but there’s enough money for a golf tournament … $6.5 million for a few days of professional golf played by millionaires.”

The Presidents Cup, which takes place this week at the Royal Montreal Golf Club, is a team competition between the United States and a squad of international players. It’s organized by the PGA Tour, which generated revenues of US$1.9 billion last year.

The Parti Québécois asked to see the studies on the economic impact of the golf tournament that were used to justify the $6.5 million subsidy, which legislature member Pascal Berubé said is roughly equivalent to the amount being requested by Quebec’s struggling performance venues.

Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx defended the subsidy, saying the tournament was bringing in tens of thousands of tourists and an estimated $71 million in economic benefits. She noted that the McGill University Hospital Foundation is a charitable beneficiary of the tournament.

“The tourism industry is the third economic engine in Quebec, after the aluminum industry and aeronautics,” Proulx said. “Just in 2023, in foreign currencies, our ministry generated $4.1 billion.”

La Presse reported that previous Presidents Cup hosts New Jersey and North Carolina did not spend public money when they hosted the tournament.

Proulx said the subsidy was to help ensure the hosts could meet the infrastructure requirements of the PGA, adding that it did not go toward player salaries.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2024.

Caroline Plante, The Canadian Press