(Quebec) François Legault and Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois do not decode the results of the municipal elections in the same way, which brought several new faces to mayor of the big cities of Quebec. Both feel a “wind of change”, but obviously not the same.
For the Prime Minister, “the wind of change that we saw in 2018 at the national level continued at the municipal level in 2021”, which is “good news”.
Citing recent investments in public transport, such as the purchase of 5 billion electric urban buses and projects across Quebec totaling 55 billion in investments, Mr. Legault affirms that his government “is moving in the direction of what many mayors have asked for ”.
In contrast, his counterpart from Quebec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, accuses him of returning from the United Nations climate conference, COP26, always putting forward his megaproject of third road between Quebec and Lévis, which could cost up to $ 10 billion to build.
“It’s easy to criticize when you have nothing to offer. […] It’s easy when you’re on the Plateau Mont-Royal in Montreal to say that there might be other solutions. Yes, but what solutions? “, Said Mr. Legault on Tuesday.
PHOTO JACQUES BOISSINOT, THE CANADIAN PRESS
The co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois
“Yesterday’s results in Quebec and throughout Quebec send a message to François Legault. More must be done for the environment, more must be done for housing. I have never seen issues like that to be discussed so much in a political campaign, all levels combined, ”replied Mr. Nadeau-Dubois.
For the liberal leader Dominique Anglade, what “we have seen in our municipalities, [c’est une élection] which showed a real wind of change, then a wind of collaboration as well. This spirit that should animate us today. ”
Good relations with Plante
The Legault government ensures that it has good relations with the administration of Valérie Plante, re-elected mayor of Montreal against her defeated opponent for a second consecutive election, Denis Coderre.
« Quand j’ai parlé avec Valérie Plante, on s’est parlé du REM de l’est, quels ajustements il faut faire pour qu’il soit plus acceptable. On s’est parlé de la ligne bleue. Je pense qu’on a les mêmes priorités », a assuré François Legault.
« J’ai hâte d’avoir mes premières rencontres avec la mairesse. […] We understand very well that the mayor will continue her work with her team, and we will work with her for the good of Montrealers. [et] for the good of Quebec, because the metropolis has a very important place within Quebec, ”continued the Minister responsible for the Metropolis, Chantal Rouleau.
The latter also qualified the speech of defeat of Mr. Coderre “a little bitter”. Sunday, the defeated candidate for mayor lamented having lived “the dirtiest electoral campaign” of his career.
The Minister of Municipal Affairs, Andrée Laforest, for her part, said she was disappointed with the low voter turnout in some cities. Quebec has created a committee that will look into the possibility of electronic voting in 2025 and does not rule out that this new way of voting may eventually be applied to provincial elections.