Public transportation | The PLQ will offer a universal card

(Quebec) A single public transportation card should be implemented throughout Quebec.

This is what the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) is proposing in the set of resolutions which will be debated Saturday and Sunday during a general council in Drummondville, focused on the reconstruction of the formation.

The Canadian Press obtained a copy of the document Thursday.

It also includes proposals on the housing crisis, to benefit owners who make improvements to their apartments, but remains silent on the constitutional and nationalist demands called for by the PLQ recovery committee in its report published Thursday.

In terms of transport, PLQ activists propose in a framework resolution to put an end to the multitude of transport tickets and cards, for the benefit of public transport users.

If the resolution is adopted, a Liberal Party in power would therefore set up “a single payment platform for access to public transport across the entire territory and transport networks”, without regard to the mode of transport used.

Consequently, the resolution also provides for “a travel system allowing the use of a single universal transportation card throughout Quebec.”

However, there is no question of a single tariff, since each regional transport company would remain responsible for establishing its own tariffs.

In addition, activists are also proposing a subsidy program for the purchase of electric bicycles as exists in Europe.

The PLQ will also debate the abolition of subsidies for public transport vehicles emitting greenhouse gases, such as current diesel buses, in favor instead of subsidies granted for the purchase of electric buses.

The party also suggests relaunching the debate on a TGV between Quebec and Toronto: it wants to put its foot in the federal government’s flower beds to support a study on the TGV, in comparison with the high frequency train (TGF) currently proposed by Ottawa.

Accommodation

In its multi-part framework resolution on housing, the PLQ proposes, among other things, a rent indexation policy based on the costs of rental improvements.

This contrasts with the rent increase calculation formula of the Administrative Housing Tribunal, which currently takes it into account, but in a reduced and modulated manner thanks to depreciation, etc.

The policy put into play by the activists would correspond “to the realities of the market and the costs of rental improvements carried out by owners of private housing”.

However, it would be “implemented gradually so as to avoid price shocks for tenants, while allowing owners to maintain the rental real estate stock and thus protect the quality of life and security of their tenants”, we can read .

Finally, the PLQ recommends the adoption of a bill against “abusive owners”.

Thus, this legislative text “would aim to raise awareness, prevent and fight against intimidation, harassment and discrimination by abusive landlords with the aim of restricting the enjoyment of the premises to a tenant so as to obtain that the latter leaves the premises. places,” we can read.

Around twenty resolutions from regional authorities will also be debated during the weekend.

A difficult situation

Remember that this general council is part of the process of rebuilding the party, decimated by the electoral debacles of 2018 and 2022 and the departure of its leader Dominique Anglade following last year’s defeat.

Another tile: a distressing result in the complementary election of October 2 in Jean-Talon, in what was once a stronghold of the PLQ. His candidate finished fourth, with 8.9% of the vote.

Also, the caucus excluded MP Fred Beauchemin last week, due to complaints of psychological harassment filed by the president of the party’s youth wing, Élyse Moisan. However, Mr. Beauchemin was the only person to have expressed his firm intention to run in the party leadership race.

A report from a recovery committee made public on Thursday should also be the subject of debate over the next weekend.

Entitled “Affirm, unite, prosper”, the document reformulates the “federalist-nationalist” position of the Liberal Party and proposes a series of paths to follow under these three main themes. In particular, he recommends the adoption of a Quebec Constitution, a reform of the voting system and of the Senate, which would become a Chamber of the provinces.

The rules of the leadership race should also be disclosed during this general council.

In last year’s general elections, the PLQ fell below the 600,000 vote mark, to 591,077 votes, a little more than the Conservative Party of Éric Duhaime (530,786), but less than Québec solidaire (634,535 ) and the Parti Québécois (600,708). The party was crushed in all regions of Quebec, except Montreal, Laval, Montérégie and Outaouais.

The party has been in steady decline since 2018, but remains the official opposition.