The CAQ's lack of MNAs in Montreal won't be a problem, Plante says
City's relationship with CAQ was good during 1st term, mayor says
The day after Coalition Avenir Québec's resounding election victory, the mayor of the province's largest city tried to shoot down concerns that the new, bigger CAQ government will ignore the priorities of Montrealers — the way many Montrealers ignored François Legault's party when it came time to cast their ballots.
The CAQ beefed up its majority during Monday's election, going from 76 to 90 seats. But just as in 2018, only two of the party's seats are on the island, both in the east end.
On Tuesday, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante was peppered with questions about the CAQ's lack of MNAs in the city and Legault's controversial statements about immigration during the campaign, which may have played a role in the party's poor showing in Montreal.
She dismissed the notion that she would have to play the role of the opposition to Legault on behalf of Montreal. The mayor also downplayed concerns about the growing chasm between Quebec's largest city and the rest of the province.
"Based on the previous mandate, with the same number of CAQ MNAs in Montreal, we really did big things [together]," Plante said, using the REM de l'Est as an example, even though the timeline for the massive public transit project remains unknown.
Plante also said the city has several allies within the CAQ even if their ridings are elsewhere, including newly elected MNAs who have strong professional ties to Montreal.
Christine Frechette, elected in the Sanguinet riding on Montreal's South Shore, was once the president of the chamber of commerce for the eastern part of Montreal. Sonia Bélanger headed one of the biggest health boards in Montreal (the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal) and sat next to Plante at several news conferences during the pandemic.
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During the campaign, Legault apologized for a statement that linked immigrants to extremism and violence. But later, while discussing the need to protect the French language, Legault said that welcoming more than 50,000 immigrants per year — the limit the CAQ has committed to setting — would be "a bit suidical."
During a local debate in Trois-Rivières, Que., Jean Boulet, Legault's former immigration minister, said "80 per cent of immigrants go to Montreal, don't work, don't speak French or don't adhere to the values of Quebec society."
He too apologized a week later, after his comments became more publicized.
On Tuesday, Plante was asked about her responsibility as mayor to speak up on behalf of residents who were hurt by those comments.
"My responsibility is making sure that every person that lives in Montreal feels heard and safe," she said. "What I'm looking for in the coming weeks and months is to talk about immigration with data, with a vision but also with humanity."
Aref Salem, the leader of the Official Opposition party at city Hall, Ensemble Montréal, said he hopes the CAQ's Montreal MNAs will do a good job speaking up on behalf of the city, but he admits the difference between how Montrealers and the rest of Quebec voted is a worrisome.
"We're a little bit concerned about the dossiers that are close to the heart of Montrealers," Salem said. "We're talking about housing, we're talking about the environment, we're talking about public security."
Madwa-Nika Cadet, who will become the new Liberal MNA in Bourassa-Sauvé, a diverse riding in northern Montreal, said the divisive words were hurtful to her constituents.
"People do not understand why they're trying to create so much division among Quebecers because, I mean, in Montreal and Quebec in general everyone likes to live peacefully," she said. "Here, on the doorsteps of Bourassa-Sauvé, the people rejected this kind of message."
During his victory speech, Legault promised that he would be the premier for all Quebecers, regardless of their language, age and origin.
On Tuesday, the premier said he's worked well with the city in the past and highlighted that he himself is a Montrealer, born and raised in the West Island suburb of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Both Legault and Plante also say the CAQ's presence in the Montreal area is stronger than people think, given the party did win seats in the city's suburbs, notably in Laval.
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With files from Simon Nakonechny