With the majority, the mayor of Quebec eliminates two anti-tram votes in the council and resigns. Opposites.
Nearly two years after taking office at the helm of the city, Mayor Bruno Marchand finally managed to gather enough elected officials to form a majority municipal council.
The transition of the two independent consultants Jean-François Gosselin and Bianca Dussault to the Québec Forte et Fière team was only a matter of time. Even their strong opposition to the tram project never seemed to be a major obstacle.
No one fell off their chair when they found out the marriage was a done deal. Jean-François Gosselin already sat on the executive committee as an associate member, and the two recruits occasionally voted on decisions related to the tram project.
There was only one step left to take.
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Bianca Dussault and Jean-François Gosselin are now part of Mayor Bruno Marchand’s Québec Strong and Proud team
Photo: Radio Canada
Disagree silently
The mayor of Quebec spoke of a great day and excellent news and described the arrival of two elected officials in his team, but without giving them the right to speak during the press conference.
He emphasized their sacrifice and courage to put the city’s interests above their own.
Bruno Marchand has not asked the newcomers to abandon their beliefs about the tram, but he has demanded that they stop saying so publicly. “You won’t hear me talking about the tram anymore,” the elected official from Sainte-Thérèse-de-Lisieux confirmed 24 hours later.
Jean-François Gosselin and Bianca Dussault can express their differences at any time, but they must do so in private. On the day of the vote, they must agree to all resolutions presented to the local council.
Mayor Marchand has just eliminated two dissenting votes from his project. Two essential votes to ensure the continuity of things in the local council.
Politics different, unless…
As of today, Bruno Marchand and his team no longer have to negotiate to secure the support of one opposition or another. Neither for a project like the tram, nor for the budget. There will no longer be a decisive vote.
The mayor is committed to continuing dialogue with his opponents if necessary. As long as the parties want to build, we will all be there, he promised.
Bruno Marchand reiterates that this is not the end of the policies he introduced the day after the election. While he was in the minority, he needed everyone’s cooperation to make the city function.
The opposition loses across the board. There is no longer a balance of power.
The mayor of Quebec can now govern without them.