The Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, defended herself from only wanting to absorb 20% of the projected deficit of $2.5 billion over five years for Quebec’s public transport companies, arguing that it was simply a matter of first offer.
“I have openness. It was a first proposal. They all know that I am waiting for their counter-proposal,” Minister Guilbault said in a press scrum at the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Radio-Canada reported Wednesday morning that there is disagreement between Minister Guilbault and the transport companies, because of her proposal which they consider insufficient.
Mme Guilbault recalled that the government had been there to help transport companies during the pandemic as ridership declined.
“We will continue to compensate for revenue losses linked to the tariff, but is it up to the government to finance all operating expenses? That’s where the whole question is,” she said.
Share the bill with municipalities
The parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire (QS), Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, questioned Prime Minister François Legault during the question period on the subject.
“Can the Prime Minister commit to ensuring that there will be no cuts to public transportation services in all regions of Quebec? » he asked.
“I know that QS thinks that money grows on trees, but I think that we must share the bill with the municipalities,” the Prime Minister replied.
“It’s a national scandal”
Opposition parties sharply criticized the CAQ minister’s offer.
“It’s a national scandal what’s happening here. We are heading towards massive cuts in services in our public transport companies. Who do you think is going to get more of this? Obviously, people who are on the outskirts. […] This is where the service is least profitable, this is where we will cut first,” argued solidarity MP Étienne Grandmont.
“It’s very worrying. We see a government that speaks […] to reduce dependence on the car, to reduce the number of vehicles. This is a contradiction with what is happening with transport companies,” said liberal MP Monsef Derraji.
The PQ leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, also believes that the situation is worrying.
“If you have fewer services, you will have fewer users. And there we fall into a downward spiral, which is exactly the opposite of the concept of sustainable mobility, which is the title, however, of the minister, and the opposite of what we should be doing at the moment, both financially and environmentally,” he said.