In front of an opponent entangled in a controversy about his contracts, Valérie Plante praised his distance from the economic world, describing it as an asset, Wednesday, in an editorial interview with Press.
After spending years defending the economic credibility of Projet Montréal, its boss recognized that there was still a gap between her and the business people of Montreal.
“Of course I don’t come from their background. I have often felt that I would never be from that environment, ”said M.me Plante, a former trade unionist. In her opinion, economic players have this gap in mind in their relations with her: “It comes from both sides, too, a little. To say to oneself: “We are like this and she is like that. “”
The mayoress even noted having experienced occasions where – in a cocktail or a ceremony – she interrupted interlocutors a little too enterprising. “I follow the rules. It’s true that sometimes there are conversations that I don’t have because I ask people if they are registered in the Registry of Lobbyists, ”she said.
I’m asking it, that question is important. I represent the City of Montreal with a budget of 6.7 billion. It was the matter that stressed me a lot when I became mayor.
Valerie Plante
In Quebec, the law obliges anyone who tries to influence the public authorities to publicly disclose their affiliation.
Mme Plante insisted, however, on the reconciliation work she has done with the business community over the past four years. “I worked a lot with them. I was very, very active in the business world and we got to know each other, she said. Do we still agree? No. But I feel there is mutual respect. ”
Be careful with the “welcome tax”
Ethical issues are at the center of this end of the campaign, but it is housing that is the main issue in Sunday’s elections, according to Mr.me Plant. And it maintains that it is the only one to have a credible plan on this subject, by referring in particular to its 20-20-20 regulation, which provides that any new real estate project must include 20% of social housing, 20% of affordable housing and 20% of family housing.
“I am very happy to be a pioneer, and I think it is the role of a metropolis to be a leader in housing,” she says. We are going to build 60,000 housing units, and they will be affordable for a minimum of 40 years. There is no one doing this. ”
Housing, for me, is one of the elements that will allow Montreal to stand out around the world.
Valerie Plante
An affordable metropolis, with a good quality of life, will allow businesses hit by a labor shortage to attract more applicants, she notes.
It does not plan, however, to abolish transfer duties (the “welcome tax”) on the purchase of a property, as his opponent Denis Coderre has mentioned. This tax represents revenues of 200 million for the City, which should then come from another source, she raised.
A provincial decree on vaccination?
In addition, Valérie Plante went further than ever in her support in principle for the compulsory vaccination of “all City employees” against COVID-19. However, she mentioned a solution that would go through the provincial government.
“Ideally, the Quebec government could put – for example – a decree to cover the entire public service,” she said. That would be ideal. ”
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Valerie Plante
The mayor underlined the importance of working with the unions which represent the employees affected by the measure “so as not to end up with bickering and conflicts” and that “ultimately it serves the citizen”. Mme Plante said it was essential to avoid service disruptions that could be caused by the sudden exclusion of unvaccinated employees at all costs.
At the beginning of October, Denis Coderre proposed the first to impose compulsory vaccination on all employees of the City of Montreal. In his opinion, the Government of Quebec would take a positive view of such a decision by the mayor of Montreal.
“Motorists must adapt”
On the issue of mobility, Valérie Plante admitted that it could be more difficult to travel by car in Montreal, due to the many construction sites, and she said she understood the frustration of some motorists. But she also stressed that the number of cars was constantly increasing and considered that the solution lay in improving the supply of public transport.
It also defended, once again, the establishment of cycle paths, in particular the section of the Express bicycle network (REV) which takes rue Saint-Denis, and which has cut off a traffic lane. “It’s true that motorists have to adapt, but we have to share public space, we have no choice,” she pleaded.
“In Saint-Denis, since 2014, there have been 300 collisions with cyclists and pedestrians, 300! And there were three deaths. The bike path we made improves safety, and in addition, 30 new businesses have opened in Saint-Denis since the beginning of the year. ”