Q: As a newly elected official, how do you assess the first two years as leader of the Quebec First Party in the official opposition?
R I’ve been in politics for a long time, but now I’m experiencing it as an elected official. Every time I put up a one-way street sign or set up the mobile speed radar stele somewhere, these are small, gratifying victories. We truly have a tangible impact on life in the world. This feedback you receive as an elected official really feeds your vision for the city.
Q: How do we learn to define ourselves as a party after an electoral defeat that puts us in the place of the official opposition? How can we tame this role when the mayor presents a platform similar to that of the Marie-Josée Savard team (which became Quebec First)?
R You are definitely not running to be in the opposition. I knew being on the side of power in Quebec politics and it was fun to govern. I wanted to do that. It is also very pleasing for the opposition, because we have the task of qualifying and quantifying the administration’s actions. We are a bit like the people’s spokespersons in front of the mayor.
This was often said to me at the beginning: in your party, if you agree with the mayor on the tram, aren’t you afraid of having difficulty standing out? In the end there are the topics that we choose based on our convictions. We did this with the tram and took a critical stance. But the further the mandate extends, the more differences appear.
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Q: After two years, your party’s identity must be more solidified than after the defeat in 2021. Ultimately, what sets you apart from Mayor Marchand?
R Vicinity. The comment I get most often about Bruno Marchand is: We don’t see him. The feedback I’m getting from both the business community and the community is: We’re not in a position to talk to him.
We, on the other hand, are the opposition and definitely have time. We are very present on site. This inevitably feeds our orientation. The city is close. We need a mayor who is interested in everything. That will be our difference.
Q How do you assess Mayor Bruno Marchand’s performance so far?
R I think that he delivered very little on the things that he talked about during the campaign and that he spent a lot of energy on things that he didn’t really talk about.
The issue of homelessness took up a lot of space in the campaign and he talks about it, but there is not a single homeless person left on the streets of Quebec. The mayor spoke of strong economic growth post-COVID. There are no major economic projects underway in Quebec and we actually have the worst growth of any major city in Canada. He accused the Labeaume government of giving up on the labor shortage, but nothing was done to address the labor shortage.
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On the other hand, it is very active in the development of bicycle networks, pedestrian zones and commercial arteries. A very European vision of the city. That is absolutely not the reason why Bruno Marchand was elected two years ago.
It is undeniable that he is pushing forward things initiated by the previous government: Flexibus, à Vélo. We perceive a continuity. I can’t rate it 0.
Q: What does a European vision bring to the city of Quebec?
R Quebec is not France in America. That’s North America in French. We have travel habits, a way of planning our territory, that is more American than European. If you want to change that, you have to accept the place from which you set off.
Bruno Marchand moves very quickly and in all directions to implement his changes. Getting the citizens of Quebec to accept the tram was already a major undertaking. Without saying it, Bruno Marchand is depriving drivers of a lot of choice. Make room for means of transport other than the car […] I’m not hostile to it. But I understand the feeling of car war that people can have.
Q What promises to keep you busy until the end of the semester?
R Economic development. This is a file in which Bruno Marchand is missing. It’s time again to be a winner at something. To do this in Quebec, I think it takes a courting mayor.
Q: With the mayor’s team, the relationship from day one is no longer the relationship it is today. What will it be like on election day knowing that the mayor won the majority this year?
R We are always open to collaborating on projects and ideas. On the other hand, you must respect your word. There were a few times when I didn’t have a reliable partner in front of me. In two years, I have not been impressed with the value of the mayor’s words. The mayor will do whatever he wants, we will continue to put Quebec first.
Q: What fate awaits your party and its leadership as we head into 2025?
R At the moment I am a chef. As such, I am the candidate for mayor in 2025. However, before I announce to the citizens of Quebec that I offer myself as an alternative, there are still things for me to evaluate at home: Family Life has its challenges. What I can say is that I’m tempted to run for mayor, but whether 2025 is the right date for me is a question I can’t answer yet.