XPost: can.politics, ont.politics, bc.politics   
   XPost: ab.politics   
   From: "@nyet.ca   
      
   It's going to be interesting to see what changes are made at Sun Media .   
   . .  which of their journalists survive and which ones do not.   
   Certainly the more rabid ones - like Ezra Levant,  and biased ones like   
   Barbara Amiel, David Frum and Rachel Marsden are not likely to be front   
   and centre.   
   But there are many others who might be . . . including Mulroney's son,   
   Ben.   
      
   At least we know there won't be a whole lot of separatists among the   
   rightwingers we have to expect will be brought back.   
   ________________________________________________   
      
   May 29, 2014 - The Globe and Mail   
      
      
   Brian Mulroney to be named chairman of media and telecom giant Quebecor Inc.   
      
   Federalist former prime minister to be named chairman as company   
   distances itself from Pierre Karl Péladeau, a high-profile Parti   
   Québécois MLA   
      
   Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney is poised to assume greater   
   responsibility at telecom and media giant Quebecor Inc. as the company   
   draws a further line between itself and its controlling shareholder,   
   Pierre Karl Péladeau.   
      
   Mr. Péladeau, who was elected to the Quebec legislature in April, is   
   considered a top candidate to take over the leadership of the Parti   
   Québécois, which lost power in the election. His political ambitions   
   have been seen as hindering Quebecor's efforts to expand its cellular   
   business outside Quebec. Mr. Mulroney, an ardent federalist – along with   
   a new vice-chair and a new CEO who have federalist leanings – is viewed   
   as someone who can smooth the way in Ottawa, which regulates the   
   cellphone industry.   
      
   The company disclosed in a corporate filing on Wednesday that Mr.   
   Mulroney, 75, will be named chairman of the board at Quebecor's annual   
   meeting next month. The filing also revealed Quebecor paid outgoing   
   chief executive Robert Dépatie $7.8-million after he decided to resign   
   for undisclosed health reasons in April.   
      
   Mr. Péladeau stepped down as chairman in March, when he announced plans   
   to enter politics. At the time, he said he would place his financial   
   interests in the company in a blind trust if elected. However, questions   
   have remained about his influence inside the company. He gave up the CEO   
   post last year and was replaced by Mr. Dépatie. A source close to the   
   company said Mr. Péladeau remained actively involved in the operations   
   despite no longer holding an executive position. This "blurred the lines   
   of authority" within Quebecor and contributed to Mr. Dépatie's recent   
   departure.   
      
   Mr. Mulroney, who is now vice-chairman of the board, is seeking to   
   prevent any similar meddling by Mr. Péladeau and plans to take on a more   
   direct role, the source said. Mr. Péladeau – through the manager of his   
   blind trust – would be consulted only on transactions that directly   
   affect his ownership stake, such as a major acquisition or sale.   
      
   Quebec businessman Pierre Laurin is set to replace Mr. Mulroney as   
   vice-chairman at the annual meeting on June 19. New CEO Pierre Dion –   
   who ran Quebecor's broadcast business TVA Group for almost a decade –   
   takes full control of the top executive job on Friday (Mr. Dépatie had   
   agreed to stay on during a transition period until May 30).   
      
   The new roles of Mr. Mulroney, Mr. Laurin and Mr. Dion could help ease   
   Quebecor's relations with the federal government, which has an active   
   interest in encouraging a viable fourth wireless carrier to compete with   
   national incumbents Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc., and Telus   
   Corp. Quebecor's Videotron division recently got licences for cellular   
   airwaves in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, and it has been   
   mulling an expansion outside Quebec if it deems the "right conditions"   
   are in place.   
      
   In an interview on Wednesday, current company chair Françoise Bertrand   
   said she felt it was time to step down. "The events of this spring led   
   to a lot of changes, and I didn't feel as comfortable." Asked if a   
   disagreement had led to her departure, she refused to comment. "I leave   
   with my head held high. I leave with no rancour and without regrets."   
      
   In its corporate filing, Quebecor said it paid Mr. Dépatie $7.8-million   
   to recognize his "outstanding contribution to the success of the   
   corporation." Spokesman Martin Tremblay added that the fact that he   
   retired for health reasons was also a factor in the payment agreement.   
      
   Mr. Dépatie, who is in his mid-50s, was granted 1.2 million stock   
   options last year when he was promoted to CEO and the company said those   
   have been cancelled due to his departure. He also has non-compete   
   obligations to the corporation for an undisclosed period. His total   
   compensation for 2013 was valued at $14.8-million, but that included   
   $8.8-million attributed to the options.   
      
   Richard Leblanc, associate professor of law at York University in   
   Toronto, an expert on corporate governance and ethics, said the payment   
   to Mr. Dépatie is "anomalous" because compensation is designed to create   
   an incentive for key executives to stay, not reward them for leaving   
   voluntarily.   
      
   "What it appears is they're allowing him to resign for health reasons   
   and they're making him whole – and that's not the point of compensation,   
   the point of compensation is retention," he said. "If you leave, you   
   leave, and you're not going to get paid."   
      
   Mr. Péladeau won a seat in the Quebec National Assembly in the riding of   
   St. Jérôme, outside Montreal. However, the PQ was defeated, a fate some   
   attributed to Mr. Péladeau reopening the debate on sovereignty.   
      
   Mr. Mulroney was a long-time mentor to Mr. Péladeau, and was said to   
   have been disappointed when he announced he was running for the PQ.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)