BACK ON THE JOB

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets commuters at Jarry métro station yesterday after winning his second straight minority government.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante welcomed the re-election of Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party with a minority government, highlighting the positives and possibilities for improvement.

“I've worked with the Liberals before when they were a Liberal minority government,” she said Tuesday, citing common ground on the issues of climate change and affordable housing. “We did work well together. There were a lot of MPS here in Montreal who were part of his cabinet. I definitely encourage Mr. Trudeau to do that again so that Montreal's interests and needs are shared at the government.”

Plante also expressed relief not to have to deal with Erin O'toole's Conservatives, particularly regarding a couple of topics close to her heart.

“There are two reasons I'm satisfied it's not a Conservative government,” she said. “It's my perspective. This party, not a long time ago, saying climate change didn't exist was very crazy. I was worried. We're putting so much effort into doing our part for climate change. That was scary.

“The other thing was guns. The Conservatives on that front are not only against banning guns, but were considering reopening the list of prohibited assault weapons, including some of those used at Polytechnique, Dawson and the mosque in Quebec City. It didn't make any sense. There are always pros and cons to every party, but I know we can work well (with the Liberals).”

Gun control was at the top of Plante's list of priorities to discuss with the Trudeau government, particularly the banning of assault weapons and handguns. And while the Liberals have not moved quickly enough on that front, Plante noted that “on gun control, there was no party that was actually meeting our expectations.”

Ultimately, she called Monday night's election results a sign that voters want stability.

“I always say, never take citizens for granted,” Plante said. “Obviously the results for Montrealers showed their seriousness regarding housing security, mobility and the environment, which are subjects dear to Montrealers. It also showed our ability to adapt while managing a pandemic with a lot of humanity and goodwill.”

May oral candidate Denis Coderre saluted “the genius of the Québécois” to assure stability in the election, while being careful to argue that his Ensemble Montréal party can offer that to citizens better than the current leadership.

“If people want stability, it takes the right people in the right place,” Coderre said. “If you want security, you need the right people and team. If you're talking housing, it's not just about talk and numbers, you have to show you're able to deliver the merchandise. This whole notion of competency, efficiency and expertise, that's our team. We talk a lot about economic development, too . ... If you want stability, it also requires change in Montreal.”

Monday's election results show the divide between urban and rural electorates, according to Coderre, creating ample room for Montreal's concerns to be heard.

“We saw big Canadian cities voted en masse for the current government,” he said, “but since it's a minority government, I think cities are going to play more of a role than ever in this government.”

Fellow mayoral hopeful Balarama Holness said if elected he would lobby for Montreal to be given “city state” status under the Constitution, and for support for the transfer of the Peel Basin from federal to municipal jurisdiction to act as a “primary site” for social housing.

“Housing is a fundamental right,” the Movement Montreal leader said in a statement. “Yet over 24,000 people are on the wait list for subsidized housing ... things clearly need to change.”