While the government is resuscitating the third highway link project, activists from the Liberal Party of Quebec are reactivating the idea of a dynamic lane on the Pierre-Laporte bridge and proposing to think about a common transport company in Quebec and in Lévis.
Liberal activists will meet this weekend in general council in Drummondville. The rules for the leadership race, which will take place in 2025, will then be officially revealed. As he wrote The duty in September, the spending limit, set at $500,000 in 2020, will this time be lowered. The number of member signatures to be collected will be greater than the 1000 needed three years ago.
In addition to the race, the debates must focus on a series of proposals formulated by members of the PLQ. The party’s political committee decided to focus its framework resolution around two angles: housing and sustainable mobility.
On this last subject, liberal activists propose in particular to develop and offer “a single digital payment platform and a universal card for public transport for all of Quebec”, we read in the notebook which was given to the participants of the general council.
In the Capitale-Nationale, where the third highway link project is making waves, liberal activists wish to assess the relevance of a merger between the Réseau de transports de la Capitale and the Société de transport de Lévis. They also suggest “deploying a global vision of structuring and inter-river transport”, with the support of experts.
Among the elements to consider, they note the redevelopment of the bridgeheads, the increase in the offer of the Quebec-Lévis Traverse (by extending services to the East, for example) and “the creation of a route dynamic on the Pierre-Laporte bridge.
This last idea is also supported by the mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand, Québec solidaire and the Parti québécois. However, this is an option that the Legault government rejected.
Mediation with the president of the youth wing
The return of the TGV
PLQ activists also propose commissioning an updated study on a high-speed train linking Quebec to Toronto, another project supported by Mayor Marchand. In 2017, former Liberal leader Philippe Couillard caused controversy by rejecting the idea of a train – not as “modern”, according to him, as a large project like a monorail – before having to review his position in this subject.
To curb the housing crisis, the Liberals are putting forward an “exemption from the QST for residential construction” as long as the market has not returned to more than a 3% vacancy rate. Ottawa is currently proposing to eliminate the GST, but on the construction of new housing intended for rental only.
Resolutions are a way for liberal activists to assert their priorities. These are, however, not binding, but can inspire the PLQ political commission when developing the electoral platform.