Quebec Solidaire parliamentary leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois blames the CAQ for the increase in the Quebec tram project bill, which, according to our information, has more than tripled.
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“If the CAQ hadn’t put water in the project’s gas for years, we wouldn’t be here,” reacted Mr. Nadeau-Dubois, briefly answering questions from journalists after leaving the blue living room on Tuesday afternoon.
“It is the responsibility of the CAQ, if costs have increased because costs have increased due to the delays, then it is the CAQ that is responsible for those delays,” the member for Gouin continued.
According to him, it is now up to the government to “continue to support the city of Quebec” so that the project can be realized.
A step backwards would be “unacceptable”
QS co-spokeswoman Manon Massé had previously warned that a step backwards in the construction of the tram was “unacceptable”. She warned that if François Legault chooses this path, the government will find solidarity along the way.
“The national capital of Quebec must have a structuring network and all the work that has been done over years or even decades is leading us towards a tram,” argued the co-spokesperson of Québec Solidaire on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister has reiterated since Friday that it “may be necessary to adapt the project” to make it “more acceptable to citizens” and “better responsive to the needs of the population”. “It comes at a reasonable cost,” the CAQ leader also reiterated on Monday.
However, on Tuesday afternoon he did not want to respond to new information from the Journal, according to which the project now has a volume of 12 to 13 billion US dollars. “Listen, I will read the data,” Mr. Legault limited himself to saying.
Like CAQ leader and Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility Geneviève Guilbault, the minister responsible for the state capital, Jonatan Julien, did not want to delve further into the issue.
“I believe Mayor Marchand mentioned that there will ultimately be a press conference tomorrow with certain information. We will follow this with great attention,” said Mr Julien.
“We will have to wait and see what Mr. Marchand will say,” explained Ms. Guilbault, who then wants to react.
Stuck in the wheels
At a time when support for the tram project drops to 36% according to a new Léger poll, solidarity activist Manon Massé accused the CAQ of not making “the necessary efforts” to promote it.
On the contrary: “The CAQ has repeatedly put obstacles in the way of the tram for four years,” complained Ms. Massé on Tuesday morning.
The PQ and Liberals also highlighted the need to move forward with the tram project before the new estimate was published on our website.
“We believe in it,” incumbent Liberal leader Marc Tanguay said this morning.
The new PQ MP for Jean-Talon, Pascal Paradis, argued that “Quebec deserves its structuring public transport project.” His colleague Joël Arseneau, who was present at his side, criticized certain elected CAQ officials for doing everything they could to “sabotage the project.”
Just a “positive signal” recently sent by François Legault: the MP for Îles-de-la-Madeleine stressed that Quebec needs a “heavy transport”.
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