Budget: the government disengaged towards the east of Montreal, denounces PSPP
The leader of the PQ, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, believes that QS led a more liberal campaign than the QLP.
Castigating a government devoid of “vision in urban planning and transport” and whose eyes would be riveted solely on the economy and the GDP, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon denounces that the policy of the CAQ would be disengaged from the east of The city.
He cites the stagnation of several projects, including the reconstruction of the Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital (HMR), the Eastern Structuring Project (PSE) or the redevelopment of Notre-Dame Street.
“ The government is disengaging from social and environmental issues,” worries the leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ) in an interview with Métro. The CAQ, whose last electoral slogan was “Let's continue”, would have chosen to continue in the immobility in the East, denounces the elected opposition.
Housing requested
On housing, he fully agrees with the dissatisfaction of Valérie Plante, the mayor of Montreal. “Housing in the east is an important issue,” recalls the PQ leader, putting forward his party's proposal to build 35,000 social housing units in Quebec.
As for the CAQ, despite the electoral promise to build 11,700 social and affordable housing units, the government currently plans to finance 1,500 affordable housing units and no social housing units, except those already planned. Just for Montreal, the mayor would have liked a target of 2,000 new units per year.
The housing crisis is hitting the East hard. In Anjou and Saint-Léonard, there are very few units available, the vacancy rate is the lowest on the island.
Broken promises
The housing issue is not the only promise broken by the CAQ, accuses the deputy for Camille-Laurin. In the budget, “I don't see any line that mentions the redevelopment of Notre-Dame Street or the decontamination of the eastern lands,” he said. PSPP recalls that the government promised a lot of money for these two projects.
Quebec makes no new commitment for the PSE or the reconstruction of the Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital. Finally, the government has not commissioned public hearings on the Ray-Mont Logistique project, takes offense to the MNA for Camille-Laurin.
The budget still provides for a sum of $23M out of three years to revitalize the east. This envelope will be used to finance projects that can be implemented in the short term.
“The needs that I mentioned are CAQ commitments, and that amounts to hundreds of millions, even billions of dollars,” indignant Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.< /p>
According to PSPP, this Caquist disinterest in the east, in transport or in housing would be indicative of a government that lacks a global vision and that only emphasizes on the economy.
“The government has its eyes on GDP per capita, it wants to catch up with Ontario, but environmental and social issues are just as important to prosperity and well-being,” concludes PQ leader .
