The Flemish liberal MP Vincent Van Quickborne says that a recording of a lecture given by the Federal Finance Minister Jan Jambon’s Chief of Staff on Monday evening proves that he disclosed information about the government’s fiscal reform plans that had not yet been shared with MPs. Meanwhile, the Flemish green MP Meyrem Almaci says that the contents of the recording “are problematic on several levels”.
Opposition says that Minister’s Chief of Staff did give extra details about government’s fiscal plans during 160-euro a head lecture for businesspeople
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Wesley De Visscher is Chief of Staff at the office of the Federal Finance Minister Jan Jambon (Flemish nationalist). On Monday evening he gave a lecture on the government’s fiscal plans. The lecture was organised by the West Flemish company SBM. Tickets cost 160 euro each (excluding VAT).
On Tuesday the Flemish green MP Meyrem Almaci confronted Mr Jambon about the lecture in the Finance Select Committee. However, he didn’t appear to be aware that his Chief of Staff had given a lecture. The opposition parties said that Mr De Visscher had made a “grave ethical error” as the lecture had been promoted by SBM as providing additional information about the reforms to those prepared to pay 160 euro to attend. The bill that includes the government’s fiscal reform plans has not yet been put before parliament.
A few hours later Mr De Visscher gave an explanation to parliament. He said that he had not been paid to speak at Monday evening’s event, nor at any other event where he had been invited to speak. He also said that apart from a few anecdotes he hadn’t said anything that hadn’t already been said in parliament. However, Mr De Visscher did concede that what had been written on SBM’s website was “not ok” and “I should have told them so”.
Recording released
Mr Jambon says that his Chief of Staff did nothing wrong in giving a lecture on the Federal Government's fiscal reform plans. The Finance Minister promised full transparency on the matter, after which his office shared the PowerPoint presentation Mr De Visscher used for the lecture with MPs. Moments later, an audio recording of the event was also shared.
Mr De Visscher can be heard sharing anecdotes about the final stages of the coalition negotiations that were held at the Royal Military Academy. There he was present as a negotiator for the Flemish nationalists. The lecture also covered the ongoing discussion within the government on capital gains tax.
Information not yet available to parliament
Mr De Visscher then moves on to the bill that includes the fiscal reform measures. The Flemish liberal MP Vincent Van Quickenborne says that while doing this Mr De Visscher also shared information that parliament does not yet have at its disposal.
Mr Van Quickenborne told journalists that. "The upshot of this is that someone who pays gets more information, more quickly than a member of parliament. Will parliament soon also have to pay to get information from this government?"
The Flemish green MP Meyrem Almaci says the recording is "problematic on several levels" and it "raises many ethical questions". "We will quietly listen to it again and check everything, but if this is what was said 'on the record' goodness knows what was said 'off the record'".