The mayors want to impose themselves during the electoral campaign
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The new generation of elected municipal officials intends to hammer home their demands and maintain the pressure on the campaigning parties regarding the pressing issues that affect them. They could play a crucial role, according to an expert.
United, several elected municipal officials could animate the electoral campaign which begins this Sunday, in the hope of making gains.
Already, this Friday, they are meeting as part of the Housing Summit (see other text). “The date was not chosen at random. This is to indicate that the issue of housing is a priority for the municipalities of Quebec”, points out the mayor of Sherbrooke, Évelyne Beaudin, as part of a tour of interviews conducted by our Parliamentary Office.
“There is a message to send, both to the government and to the parties running in the next Quebec election,” relaunches Catherine Fournier, the mayor of Longueuil.
The mayor of Laval, Stéphane Boyer, adds that the elected officials of the cities must “collaborate” and “help each other” to be heard by the formations during the Quebec campaign.
Urgent issues
Overall, they are all asking for much more support and financial support from Quebec. Environment, housing, land use planning, sustainable mobility: mayors have their work cut out for them.
“It is not the municipalities that invite themselves into the campaign, but the themes chosen by the parties. Because these themes are most important to them. So, yes, the municipalities will necessarily be involved, if only to give their opinion and sometimes restore the facts, ”says the mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand.
Due to the “urgency of the situation” linked to these issues, “there is a willingness on the part of mayors and citizens to act quickly and more strongly”, he adds. “If there are proposals that are inadequate or insufficient, the mayors have the choice of speaking up publicly to say that it takes more.”
Once the election is sealed, he also hopes that the dialogue will remain open, regardless of the number of MPs the government elects.
He maintains that a government can decide to be “arrogant”, but in reality it “must be able to rise up” and represent all citizens to develop Quebec.
In Sherbrooke, Évelyne Beaudin compares the city’s relationship with Quebec to that of David versus Goliath. “Honestly, in this relationship, it’s not equal. Neither the government nor the cities have any interest in embarking on a showdown,” she argues.
Friction
Political scientist Philippe Dubois believes that elected municipal officials will have an important role to play, beyond the usual grocery lists.
“Considering the record of the CAQ government in municipal affairs, there is probably a desire to intervene,” he says, recalling that there are already “frictions” between Quebec and the newly elected officials.
“We value this political scene a lot. They are presented as local governments and they come together with issues and responsibilities that directly challenge the action of the Quebec government,” he said.
However, adds the professor, the municipalities are not in tune with the government.
Catherine Fournier believes that the government sees the new wave of elected municipal officials in a good light and that it is very open to dialogue. She admits, however, that there are pitfalls. “It is certain that there are difficulties that are experienced by the municipalities,” she describes. “The fact that the cities are financed solely by property taxes, of course that means that we have to work with Quebec. It also demonstrates the need for more autonomy in cities. This is undoubtedly a theme that will be put forward.
A “very significant” housing crisis, according to Quebecers
Access to housing and property is a major problem according to 84% of Quebecers, reveals a Mainstreet Research poll. The vast majority is also in favor of the idea of increasing the density of cities.
This survey, obtained by our Parliamentary Office, should serve as the basis for the Housing Summit, organized by the cities of Laval and Longueuil.
Two days before the election call in Quebec, the mayors who are campaigning for increased assistance from the Quebec government to solve the housing crisis now have in their possession eloquent data.
“We were right. It confirms what we, as elected municipal officials, feel on the ground,” said the mayoress of Longueuil, Catherine Fournier.
It is for this reason that she had the idea, with her Laval counterpart, of uniting municipal forces and inviting their colleagues and experts to this summit, which begins today. “We have to think about solutions and draw inspiration from international best practices,” she says.
This is one of the issues of the hour which could quickly rebound on the caravans of political parties.
“The municipal world has been asking for more investment in social housing for a long time. We are asking for programs that are simpler, ”says the mayor of Laval, Stéphane Boyer.
Concerns
According to data from Mainstreet, the high cost of housing or property is the main problem of the crisis. Moreover, 84% of people believe that there is a crying lack of social housing.
“It is really time to take the magnitude of the crisis. To say; it is really time to react to meet the needs, to build housing, to build student housing, ”says the mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand.
The solutions put forward by the cities also seem to please those surveyed. No less than 71% are in favor of the densification of cities.