In light of the latest IPCC climate report, it would be “irresponsible” for the Legault government to go forward with its Quebec-Lévis highway tunnel project, opposition parties say.
• Also read: Climate: The IPCC publishes its “Survival Guide” for humanity
When asked Tuesday morning during a photoshoot with Treasury Secretary Eric Girard, the Prime Minister refused to confirm whether the 2023-2024 budget would include new amounts for the 3rd Link project.
In front of the camera, however, he assured that this budget was an opportunity “to invest better, to invest more in services: in education, in health and also in the fight against climate change”.
“The report presented yesterday is more timely than ever,” the Prime Minister added, referring to the new summary report presented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on Monday.
climate emergency
For Québec solidaire parliamentary leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, “yesterday’s IPCC report is clear: we are in a climate emergency,” he said on Tuesday.
“Quebec Solidaire’s request is simple: there must not be a single dollar in today’s budget for the irresponsible project that is the third link,” said the Gouin MP.
“The government must back down while there is still time for the third link issue. The reports add up to mean to the government that this is a very bad choice, that it would be a ruinous move on the financial level, but especially on the environmental and public health levels,” explained PQ member Joel Arseneau.
Interim leader of the Liberals, Marc Tanguay, again interviewed by our parliamentary office, stated that “even most supporters of the tunnel project […] begin to realize that it will never happen.
“Even the environment minister said that this project was not bound,” Mr Tanguay said, drawing on comments from Minister Benoit Charette in response to two other reports recently presented by the regional health agency on atmospheric pollutants in lower Quebec.
The interim chief also reminded that the studies promised by the prime minister earlier this year are still pending. Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault is due to provide an update on the 3rd Link project in the coming weeks, which, among other things, will have to take into account the impact of teleworking on the travel of Greater Quebec citizens.
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