Quebec Liberal election chairman Alexandre Taillefer quits media company

MONTREAL — The businessman tapped to preside over the Quebec Liberals’ bid for re-election is stepping down from the media company in which he is involved.

Alexandre Taillefer announced in a statement today he is leaving the board of Mishmash Media, whose publications include L’Actualite magazine and biweekly alternative paper Voir.

The moves comes just a day after opposition parties in Quebec City raised concerns about Taillefer, who will chair the Liberal election campaign for the upcoming provincial election in October.

Taillefer says it’s primordial to assure the total independence of newsrooms from their owner — and even more so when the latter is involved in politics.

He says he’s aware of the uneasiness among Mishmash Media journalists, given his new political tasks, but maintains the editorial integrity of the publications is paramount for him.

Taillefer has also put an end to a column he wrote in Voir.

He says the current structure of private equity investment firm XPND Capital, of which he is the managing partner, and Mishmash Media allows him to quickly end his minority investment in the media firm.