Despite the release of the favourable report from CDPQ Infra, the tramway project remains unpopular in the Quebec region, particularly among voters of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ), reveals a Pallas poll commissioned by the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ).
In the population as a whole, 58% of people say they are “strongly opposed” or “rather opposed” to the project. Among CAQ voters, the disenchantment rises to 61%.
For Éric Duhaime, this is proof that the CAQ “is driving a wedge between itself and its voters.” “It is not true that we are going to have a tram imposed on us against the wishes of those who will pay for it,” said the politician.
The survey was conducted on June 22, ten days after the unveiling of the CDPQ Infra proposal. The results are based on a sample of 1,445 people across Quebec. The data on Quebec voters therefore comes from a sample of 200 people, which brings the margin of error to at least 6%.
Questioned on this, Éric Duhaime stressed that even taking into account the margin of error, “that gives a majority against the tramway”. In any case, he adds, “there is no survey which says that the majority is behind a tram in Quebec”.
Among PCQ supporters, 93% are opposed to the tramway project, while 37% are opposed to the Québec solidaire (QS) supporters and 29% to the Parti québécois (PQ).
On the Liberal side too, 29% of respondents say they are opposed, but the majority of people are undecided (48%) while support is stronger for the PQ and QS.
The Poilievre factor
Éric Duhaime argues that the project must be abandoned all the more because the federal government risks not financing it in the event of the very likely election of the Conservative Party of Canada (PCC). Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have, until now, committed to financing 40% of the project, but “Pierre Poilievre said he would not put a penny into the tramway in Quebec.”
