(Quebec) Nothing is going well at Quebec City Hall, where relations between Mayor Bruno Marchand and opposition figures appear to be at an all-time low a week after the departure of several elected officials denouncing a “climate poison.”
Posted at 5:15 p.m.
The mayor on Thursday defended his councilor Steeve Verret, who was accused by opposition councilor Stevens Mélançon of giving him a “blow on the chest”. Bruno Marchand stated that he had viewed video footage of the incident and supported Verret's version, claiming that he had “never touched” Mélançon.
Mayor Marchand suggested that opposition parties show the media the video of the altercation that took place after the February 6 council meeting. He asked all parties to agree to show the recordings to journalists.
“It is important for us that public opinion can be based on real facts and not on political maneuvers. “We are talking about people’s reputation here,” Bruno Marchand said in a written statement to the media.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Quebec Mayor Bruno Marchand
Mélançon and the second opposition assured on Thursday that they agreed with the idea of showing the tapes to the media, but added that it would be very complicated and would require several authorizations to do it legally.
“There is contact, chest to chest… We don't see it on the video, but there is contact,” said the leader of the second opposition, Patrick Paquet, who was also able to view the footage. “You told the truth, Stevens,” he said to his party’s chosen one.
Villeneuve throws fuel on the fire
In addition to the confrontation between Verret and Mélançon on February 6, another elected official, this time from the first opposition, denounced inappropriate actions during an outing last week.
Alicia Despins even filed a complaint with the Quebec Municipal Commission (CMQ). She denounces the behavior of some elected representatives of the majority, in particular the “aggressiveness” of the Vice-President of the Executive Council, Pierre-Luc Lachance, during municipal council meetings.
PHOTO YAN DOUBLET, LE SOLEIL ARCHIVE
Alicia Despins
Ms. Despins and her boss accused the mayor of inaction. The consultant has been calling for the introduction of mandatory training to prevent harassment in the workplace for days.
“For nine days we've had a mayor who can't say I'm going to take care of this. “A mayor who only tries to shift responsibility to others, to rely on finesse, to play with words, to do everything to evade, to basically blame the victims,” Claude Villeneuve, leader of the First Opposition and former party of Régis Labeaume.
However, Mayor Marchand made a concrete proposal to the opposition: a closed-door meeting of all elected officials with the president of the municipal council to discuss ethics and “appropriate behavior” in meetings.
Claude Villeneuve categorically rejected the proposal. “If Bruno Marchand believes that we are going to have a closed meeting with him, with the level of incomprehension of the situation that he is witnessing… I see that Bruno Marchand behaves like that and I am of the opinion that that this is not the case is a safe person to be with in private. »
Is the leader of the first opposition so afraid of the elected representatives of strong and proud Quebec? “We will sit behind closed doors and Pierre-Luc Lachance will try to jump on us? I think this guy has no control over himself. I think the mayor doesn’t control his team,” Mr. Villeneuve responded.
The next city council meeting is scheduled for March 19th.