The questions of the third link, tram and immigration gave way to sometimes more stormy exchanges between the four candidates of the main federal parties, during a debate organized by the Téléjournal Québec on Tuesday evening.
Simon Bérubé (BQ), Jean-Yves Duclos (PLC), Gerard Deltell (PCC) and Tommy Bureau (NPD) have discussed around two main themes: mobility and the economy.
What to do with federal funding?
Liberals and conservatives have been attacked and have challenged themselves as to their positions on the tram project and that of the third link between Quebec and Lévis.
Jean-Yves Duclos answers a question about the financing of the tram.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Erik Chouinard
In favor of the tramway, the liberal candidate was questioned that the funding of $ 1.44 billion in Ottawa for the tram was not secured before the elections. Without answering the question directly, he rather attacked the conservatives who oppose the project.
If you want to do a tram, it takes social acceptability. Despite all the goodwill efforts that were made by the promoters, they did not reach it
replied the conservative candidate.
Jean-Yves Duclos then tried to destabilize Gérard Deltell had asked him if the PCC Also was going to abandon the Blue Line project in Montreal, as he promises to do for the Quebec tramway. Recall that the Conservatives are committed not to finance the tram project for the benefit of the third link.
Mr. Deltell, will Mr. Poilièvre also disinnounce the extension of the blue line? Answer the question!
Contrary to what Mr. Duclos says, I find it really a shame that you repeat, repeat, always repeat a lie. The $ 1.4 billion will stay in Quebec, are you clear? In Quebec, when Mr. Duclos says he [Pierre Poilièvre] Go and fly it, it’s a lie!
There is a bad habit of the two parties, it is to go and get into mobility projects here in Quebec. When Quebec decides to go ahead with a project, the role of the federal
That’s good for Mr. Duclos that he can still, in this election, defend his tram project. This is because our programs are not effective. The money should have come down to Quebec for a long time. […] As for Mr. Deltell, I can’t wait to see what you are going to do with the $ 1.4 billion. Me, I expect reserved routes for the F-150s!
3e lien : not a venereal disease
In another full -bodied exchange, Gerard Deltell challenged his liberal counterpart with regard to the question of the third link, a project that enjoys greater social acceptability, according to him. Recall that the Conservatives hammered that they supported the project.
For its part, the Liberal Party had undertaken to no longer finance a project only motorway.
Gérard Deltell wants to know the position of Jean-Yves Duclos on the third link.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Erik Chouinard
Mr. Duclos, I know that you were a political lieutenant of Quebec, but Mr. Carney put you outside. You are a deputy for Quebec. For or against the 3rd link? […] Isn’t that a venereal disease that there, are you for or against?
We have always said that if he had a component in public transport, we were going to look at the project carefully, but we must give time to the government of Quebec to present his project. For the moment, he has no project, route or budget.
We see here a striking exchange between two federalist deputies who were joined in the skills of Quebec and waste time. […] Projects in federal infrastructure is the choice of Quebec is Quebec that chooses these projects. There is no permission to ask the federalty.
We waste our time to persist in constantly repeating the same things and there it did not even give us time to speak of active transport when for us it is excessively important for a city like Quebec, for a constituency like Quebec-Center. All this time was wasted just to obsess themselves again.
Immigration and integration
One question from the public led to criticism of the outgoing liberal government about immigration, in particular on the treatment of skilled workers, many of whom are still considered as temporary immigrants.
Sandra Nodari asks a question.
Photo : Radio-Canada
We have 20,000 doctors currently from abroad who are not yet recognized, 30,000 nurses, we need this staff. We need all this talent that will feed our needs. […] We are committed to accelerating the process to allow successful immigration.
We at the NPD, we find that we break a lot of sugar on the back of immigrants. The term we hear most often […] It is the word labyrinth. We do not know exactly how it works, the rules change continuously. We are in the dark for excessively long, we must better support immigrants to help their integration.
The chaotic management of immigration under the Liberal government has caused a lot of trouble and concerns to immigrant people that we want to welcome here. […] It is a maze, an administrative labyrinth. It takes an asylum seeker 42 months before obtaining a decision, years before obtaining the permanent residence, it is discouraging for people who come here and they want to come and give us a hand. It is absolutely heartbreaking.
Immigration is good for Quebec, it’s good for Canada, our diversity is a source of strength and pride […] We need to better recognize their competence including healthy, but it is done with the Quebec government. It is not the federalum that will decide on these things. Same thing for integration and francization.
