The CAQ government disavows the comments of the head of Hydro-Québec, Michael Sabia, who is calling for a “rebalancing” in favour of local businesses in the allocation of electricity supplies.
The Liberal Party (PLQ) presented a motion to the National Assembly on Wednesday in support of the comments of the president of Hydro-Québec, with the agreement of Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois, but the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) blocked the tabling of the motion.
This follows Mr Sabia’s highly-noted statement the day before, who criticised the government during the parliamentary committee’s study of Bill 69, which reforms the energy sector.
The Hydro boss suggested that the government was favouring new businesses to the detriment of local industries that have additional electricity needs to begin decarbonisation.
Moreover, earlier in the morning on Wednesday, the parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire (QS), Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, had accused the former Minister of Economy and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, of having thus “messed up” Quebec’s energy planning.
He recalled that when the CAQ came to power, Quebec had an electricity surplus, whereas today it has an energy deficit.
Mr Fitzgibbon’s successor, Christine Fréchette, now has the “obnoxious duty of cleaning up” […] in this mess,” concluded Mr. Nadeau-Dubois.
“Who caused the trouble? Who sold the equivalent of La Romaine twice at a discount in a few months? It was Pierre Fitzgibbon,” he lashed out. “The reason we’re in trouble is Pierre Fitzgibbon.” [Il] messed up our energy planning.”
It was Mr. Fitzgibbon who tabled this bill at the very end of the parliamentary session in June, but he resigned last week and it is his successor, Christine Fréchette, who is now leading the study of this piece of legislation in parliamentary committee.