MONTREAL – He’s generally not the most outspoken CEO in land, but Cogeco’s Louis Audet made his most political statement yet in a speech to the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal on Thursday and to journalists at a press conference afterward.
Audet made use of the speech to publicize a plea to the Canadian government to take in more refugees. Though the new Liberal government has promised to bring in 25,000 by the end of the year — something experts and critics have said would be difficult logistically — Audet said 100,000 a year should be feasible.
“It’s not a business issue,” Audet said, though he put a positive economic spin on an increase in refugees in his speech. “Immigrants are nearly twice as likely to start up businesses than are native-born Quebecers,” he said, according to prepared notes. “The reason is that they are people who have learned to be resourceful in order to break the chains of dependence and marginalization.”
Though he was joined by François Crépeau, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, and Walter Leuchs, the German Consul General in Montreal, who spoke of Germany’s commitment of 500,000 refugees this year, Audet’s plea didn’t come with any offers on behalf of the telecom and media company.
“It’s a big challenge, and you need specialized agencies to welcome them, teach them the language, get them started on their first job. This is way beyond our capabilities.”
But “we can certainly contribute money” if that becomes necessary, he added.
In an interview with Cartt.ca, Audet explained that his concern for the refugee crisis dates back to October 2013, when a boat carrying migrants from Africa sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa, killing at least 359 people who had reportedly paid at least $3,000 each to traffickers to get them to Europe. A week later, another ship sank in the same area of the Mediterranean Sea, killing at least 34 people.
“Starting from that point on you saw boat after boat coming and we (Canada) were absent,” Audet said. “We as a country should have woken up. That’s what got me upset. But who am I to say I think this is wrong?”
His opportunity to do so came when he was invited to speak to the Board of Trade, a speech scheduled a year in advance. Given free rein to discuss what he wanted, he started with the usual, by discussing Cogeco’s business strategy and future: “We are looking to acquire other independent cable providers in the U.S. in the years to come,” he said, “as there are several companies of the right size available for reasonable asking prices, unlike in Canada where few remain.”
“Unless we want to be ashamed of ourselves for a long time to come, the time to act is now.” – Louis Audet, Cogeco
But then he “seized the occasion” to talk about refugees. “Unless we want to be ashamed of ourselves for a long time to come, the time to act is now,” he told the businesspeople who paid to hear him.
Audet said he’s disappointed that, according to a CROP poll Cogeco commissioned only 23% of Canadians want to increase foreign aid, even though Canada spends 0.24% of its GDP on it, or one third the level recommended by the United Nations. He attributed that attitude to “racist manipulation” by the previous federal government.
But he’s been optimistic about the desire for change since the worldwide reaction to the death of Alan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian boy who was found dead on a beach in Turkey in September, and whose family had reportedly been trying to escape to Canada. “At last Canada is reacting,” Audet said. “Everyone in Canada woke up. Because as unfortunate an event that it was, people were opening their eyes for — what I perceive to be for the majority of people — the first time.”
Even if Canada accepts 100,000 refugees, there will always be more. “My hunch is that it’s not going to stop any time soon,” said the UN’s Crépeau. But Audet said we must do more.
“It shouldn’t have taken the drowning of a small child. This has been going on for two years. I’m fed up. This is important, we have to do it. We can’t just shut our consciences up.”
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