Compassionate and remorseful, MPs from Greater Quebec City apologize for not delivering on their promise to build a third highway linking Quebec City and Lévis. Although their constituents “feel betrayed”, they don’t want to resign, not even Éric Caire, who had put his seat on the line.
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That was her main campaign promise less than six months ago. Every campaign day they repeated to their voters that they would build this highway tunnel under the river.
The Lévis MP had a lump in his throat as he addressed journalists at the National Assembly on Thursday morning. “It’s a very emotional subject,” Bernard Dranville said, almost tearfully.
Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault had just confirmed the withdrawal of the motorway link as part of the third Quebec-Lévis link project.
It will be a public transport tunnel, the cost, details and work schedule of which are still unknown. According to Ms Guilbault, the aim is eventually to persuade drivers to leave their vehicles and use public transport.
“First of all, I would like to apologize to the people of Lévis and the people of Chaudière-Appalaches. I made a promise and am unable to fulfill it,” Mr. Drainville whispered. “I understand your disappointment. I understand her anger. I’m really sorry.” The Minister of Education assures that his commitment was sincere.
He has not thought of resigning, but understands that his voters “feel betrayed”.
New data
“I genuinely believed that the sick traffic we had last summer was the new normal,” he said.
He is now pleading that declining traffic data and the explosion in costs linked to inflation have not allowed his government to move forward.
“The new normal post-pandemic traffic isn’t what it was before. Therefore, a motorway connection is not justified,” he agreed and supported his party’s new project. “I believe that downtown-to-downtown connectivity is required […] It is a beautiful project that we propose. It’s not the one we signed up for. But it is a beautiful project and it has to be delivered […] We can’t afford to be wrong.”
Still, he believes that “one day” there will be “a highway connection” between Quebec and Lévis. “I don’t know when, but there will be one,” he said.
Two broken promises for Cairo
As for him, La Peltrie’s deputy Éric Caire is clinging to his seat, even though he brought it up for this project. Next to the autobahn tunnel, he breaks a second promise to resign if his political party backs down on the project.
He recently said he would fight to the last drop of blood to keep that promise. “Today is a difficult day. I fully understand my fellow citizens’ disappointment,” he said, stressing that he is now worried about Quebecers’ wallets. Therefore, Mr. Caire retires and will defend the new project reserved for public transport.
Without apologies, he believes his constituents will understand. “I will meet the citizens and explain the decision to them. I trust the judgment of my fellow citizens, as I have always done for the last six mandates,” he said.
- Hear the views of Éric Duhaime, leader of the Quebec Conservative Party on the microphone of Richard Martineauavailable as a podcast on QUB radio:
“I can understand people feeling betrayed but I think we have numbers today […] The figures that are on the table do not allow us to defend the project,” he said in defense.
Brutal for Chaudière-Appalaches
The MEP from Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, Martine Biron, speaks of a “brutal” day. “We’re in a situation where we’re not delivering on what we promised,” she admitted.
She was elected by repeatedly promising to build a third highway link.
“It’s extremely difficult, not only for me but also for the Chaudière-Appalaches team,” she said, acknowledging that citizens feel betrayed.
“That’s true. We have a lot of calls in the constituency and I know colleagues are going through it. I spoke to the mayor [de Lévis] Gilles Lehouillier and he is very unhappy […] Yes, they feel betrayed, the shock is huge. We fought for it.”
The President of the Chaudière-Appalaches Group, Luc Provençal, indicates that people “will question their support” for the CAQ. Several people have contacted him to express “their disappointment and anger,” he says.
The elected Bellechasse, Stéphanie Lachance, did not hide her frustration. She argues that citizens in her county would have benefited the most from the third connection.
She admits she hasn’t convinced the elected officials (mayors) of her driving that the new public transit project is the right one.
She herself doesn’t seem convinced. “I still have to work,” she says. “For Bellechasse this is not a recipe for success. Bellechasse is a very large area served by the automobile.”
what they said
“What is the word of the CAQ worth when they promise us sea and world in all cases, when they promise us that they will settle the cases for five years and that we will see that in all cases things get worse and worse? –Marc Tanguay, interim leader of the Quebec Liberal Party
“Very pleased to hear that the minister is appealing for the car to be abandoned! But the question arises: is the motorway part of the tunnel really abandoned? You must be sure to lock the door tightly and throw the key in the river while you’re there. –Etienne Grandmont, MP for Québec Solidaire.
“It baffles us to see Quebecers being told so soon after the election campaign that this CAQ flagship project was not a good idea. We’ve known that for a long time.” –Joël Arseneau, MP for the Parti Québécois.
“[L’abandon du projet de tunnel autoroutier] will reassure many fellow inner-city Quebecers who have made clear to me their concerns that a new highway could adversely affect their already fragile living environment from environmental and social perspectives.” –Jean-Yves Duclos, Federal Secretary of Health and MP for Quebec.
“Nothing has compelled Éric Caire to be very clear about the commitments he has made on several occasions. It’s based on his honor [de démissionner].” – PQ Pascal Bérubé
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