Clément Laberge at the head of the cabinet, Claude Villeneuve leader of the opposition… The key pieces of the new political scene of the Hôtel de Ville de Québec began to take place on Wednesday in parallel with the first and perhaps last official meeting between Régis Labeaume and Bruno Marchand.
“It was a meeting of an hour and a quarter, very cordial. We laughed. […] Mr. Labeaume was very generous, ”said Mr. Marchand at the end of the meeting. The assertion seemed surprising as the atmosphere during the taking of photos between the two men had seemed cold to the photographers and cameramen present.
But the enthusiasm of the new mayor seemed unwavering. He and Mr. Labeaume notably discussed the budget, which must be tabled before the end of the year. Already, no radical or “major” changes aimed at adoption before the holidays are on the program.
Regarding the tramway – a project to which Mr. Marchand plans to make changes – Mr. Labeaume would have especially stressed the importance of respecting the schedule. Time is running out since the City must receive, by the end of November, the responses to its new call for tenders for rolling stock (the call for tenders for infrastructure will take place in 2023).
All smiles, Mayor Marchand reiterated his intention to work with the opposition. “Let’s work with others, put our personal interests aside. With six advisers, he will have no choice but to ask her to form a full executive committee.
Regarding the third link, he says he discussed it with Prime Minister Legault, but maintains that he needs “documentation, facts and studies” to be convinced of the validity of the project.
A new model of opposition
The new mayor has also chosen the businessman and PQ activist Clément Laberge as chief of staff. A well-known entrepreneur in the digital economy, Mr. Laberge founded the firm Opossum in the early 2000s. He has served on a large number of boards of directors in the capital’s cultural sector.
A long-time PQ activist, he was also a candidate for the Parti Québécois (PQ) in the riding of Jean-Talon, in Quebec, during the 2015 partial. Mr. Laberge will be seconded by Bruno-Pierre Cyr, who will occupy the position deputy chief of staff. Mr. Cyr – who was Jean-François Lisée’s press secretary during the 2018 election campaign – played a key role in Mr. Marchand’s campaign. One thing is certain, the former PQ are well represented in the team since the press secretary of the mayor, Thomas Gaudreault, is also a former employee of the party.
Earlier in the morning, it was Team Marie-Josée Savard’s turn to present their game plan. With the departure of the leader, it is Claude Villeneuve, 39, who will act as leader of the opposition.
A newcomer to municipal politics, Mr. Villeneuve was elected in the district of Maizarets-Lairet. This former chronicler of Journal of Quebec had previously been speechwriter for Pauline Marois when she was Prime Minister (2012-2014).
In front of the media gathered on the forecourt of the town hall, he extended his hand to the strong and proud Quebec party (QFF) and its leader, Bruno Marchand, showing himself open to different forms of collaboration.
“We want to be a constructive, even positive, opposition. “No scenario is excluded, he said, including his participation in the executive committee. “It is obvious that, if only for the various bodies and various boards of directors to which the city must be represented, there will have to be a certain division of responsibilities. “
To journalists who asked him what differentiated the mayor’s party from his own, he insisted above all on their common points and underlined that the QFF program “closely resembled the record of Team Labeaume”.
The collaboration between his party and the Marchand administration could take new forms, he suggested. “It may be different from the models we have had in the past. […] It’s interesting what we’re going to experience at City Hall over the next few months, the next few years. “
The new leader also confirmed that the party would have to change its name, but “it will not be called Team Villeneuve,” he promised with a laugh.
Mme Savard, who was absent when the announcement was made, broke the silence on social media on Wednesday. “Today, I can say that I am proud to have built the team of ten elected officials who will sit at City Hall. The official opposition will be made up of exceptional people who are there for the right reasons, ”she wrote. “I fully support the new opposition leader, Claude Villeneuve, chosen by his colleagues,” she continued before thanking her team and her family for their support.