THE POWER OF POLITICS-
By Bernard Bujold -
With the Quebec provincial elections just a few weeks away, a question arises: What draws candidates to politics? It’s a job that pays little and demands a great deal of time, and there’s no such thing as loyalty.
Personally, I was introduced to the world of politics through Brian Mulroney in 1984, but I also experienced the world of business and finance through Quebecor and Pierre Péladeau in 1991. I quickly realized that political power is an illusion and that true power lies in finance.
With Brian, whenever we walked down the street, everyone treated him as if he were their employee… When Pierre Péladeau was around, people viewed him as a kind of god and believed that the chance to speak with him would bring them wealth… (a Chinese belief that touching gold makes one rich).
Pierre Péladeau never wanted to go into politics, and he often told me that true power lies in finance. There are many reasons why people go into politics, including a quest for glory—a sort of illusion in the face of life’s realities. To be happy in politics, in my opinion, you have to be financially independent before you start and want to take on a new challenge for the pleasure of testing your talent, not out of the need for a job.
Mark Carney is an example. He had a career at the top of his field and is financially independent. For him, politics is like an active retirement pursuit after a lifetime in finance. He’s enjoying himself and will leave when he no longer finds it fun.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the 2026 Quebec election, none of the party leaders demonstrate either financial independence or a previous career at the top. But there’s no getting around the fact that we have to choose a premier, and these are the only options on the ballot…
Happy voting on October 5!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q8TY-nXty9Xl6jQMgsPJGHeyqJ11z-jW/view?usp=sharing
By Bernard Bujold -
With the Quebec provincial elections just a few weeks away, a question arises: What draws candidates to politics? It’s a job that pays little and demands a great deal of time, and there’s no such thing as loyalty.
Personally, I was introduced to the world of politics through Brian Mulroney in 1984, but I also experienced the world of business and finance through Quebecor and Pierre Péladeau in 1991. I quickly realized that political power is an illusion and that true power lies in finance.
With Brian, whenever we walked down the street, everyone treated him as if he were their employee… When Pierre Péladeau was around, people viewed him as a kind of god and believed that the chance to speak with him would bring them wealth… (a Chinese belief that touching gold makes one rich).
Pierre Péladeau never wanted to go into politics, and he often told me that true power lies in finance. There are many reasons why people go into politics, including a quest for glory—a sort of illusion in the face of life’s realities. To be happy in politics, in my opinion, you have to be financially independent before you start and want to take on a new challenge for the pleasure of testing your talent, not out of the need for a job.
Mark Carney is an example. He had a career at the top of his field and is financially independent. For him, politics is like an active retirement pursuit after a lifetime in finance. He’s enjoying himself and will leave when he no longer finds it fun.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the 2026 Quebec election, none of the party leaders demonstrate either financial independence or a previous career at the top. But there’s no getting around the fact that we have to choose a premier, and these are the only options on the ballot…
Happy voting on October 5!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q8TY-nXty9Xl6jQMgsPJGHeyqJ11z-jW/view?usp=sharing
