The arrival of a mayor opposed to the tramway next year in Quebec would be a disaster according to Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.
• Also read: Marchand: “I am the only mayor of Quebec who went to elections on the tramway”
• Also read: Tramway: new battle between Poilievre and Marchand
According to Mr. Duclos, a possible defeat of Bruno Marchand in 2025 against such a candidate would not be desirable.
The drop in support for the project is not surprising at present, but the popularity rating should increase when the tramway is in circulation, he mentioned in an impromptu press interview.
“Support will increase enormously. People will be very happy with the result. This is what we observe everywhere else,” explains the federal minister.
Jean-Yves Duclos deplores the fact that Conservative leader Pierre Poilièvre plans to cut funding for the project. Worse still, the latter contradicts his deputies from the region, like Pierre Paul-Hus for example.
In a tweet this week, Pierre Poilievre called the tramway “an expensive project that the people of Quebec do not want.”
Mr. Duclos believes that the money goes to the people of Quebec.
“This is effectively stealing money from people in the Quebec region. There are plenty of other places in Canada that will want this money. All modern, growing cities need public transportation. Everyone caught in traffic knows it.”
The drop in satisfaction with Mayor Marchand does not worry Mr. Duclos, but a defeat at town hall next year against an anti-tram would not be a good thing in his opinion.
“I think he is doing the right thing as mayor of Quebec. We will see what people decide, but I think it would be a disaster for Quebec City to miss its chance,” the minister concluded.
For his part, Bruno Marchand maintained that it would be “a mistake” to call into question major infrastructure projects with each change of government.
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