Mayor Bruno Marchand regrets the Parti Québécois (PQ)’s actions regarding the tram. He believes that his boss is contradicting himself by accusing the city of a lack of transparency regarding the estimated costs, while refusing to disclose the maximum amount that the project cannot exceed.
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The PQ reiterated its support for the megaproject in a motion that was unanimously approved by all parties in the National Assembly.
However, its leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, explained that the “structuring network” had to pay an acceptable price to obtain approval for its training. However, he did not want to reveal the maximum amount for which the party would give the green light.
Mayor Marchand made himself available during a press briefing Sunday morning after returning from the annual meeting of the board of the Union of Quebec’s Remote Municipalities.
During this public appearance, he reiterated that this decision contradicts the PQ’s request to provide an update on the project costs to the municipal administration as part of the Jean-Talon by-election.
“We are told it depends on the price,” but they dare not say their maximum price. They ultimately follow the same logic as us. We are waiting for the work of experts, consortia and those who want to build the tram […] And then we can ask ourselves whether it is a good price and whether we should negotiate,” he explains.
The mayor believes that those who really support the tram must wait for the work of experts and stand behind the project without “thwarting it”.
“A mistake by the PQ”
Asked whether it would have been relevant to offer an update to the proposed invoice structuring transport, as suggested by Mr St-Pierre Plamondon, Bruno Marchand claims that this would not be wise.
“It is a mistake that the PQ is demanding this because we don’t have the costs. What we have is a fork. Ms. Guilbault doesn’t have the prize, I don’t have it. For what ? The consortia determine the price by submitting their offer by November 2nd. »
Quebec’s mayor wants to avoid an “open negotiation” by disclosing the amount the city expects to pay because “it would serve the interests of the people of Quebec and Quebec” to make such obvious disclosures in full tender.