(Laval) A Liberal candidate in Laval, former city councilor Virginie Dufour, argued just a few months ago that the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) is “the party that does the most for the environment”. She said so before running under the Liberal banner, when she was attending a CAQ convention.
Posted at 4:16 p.m.
She says today that the “stubbornness” of the CAQ about the third Quebec-Lévis link made her change her mind and pushed her to wear the colors of the Liberal Party of Quebec.
In November, 850 CAQ activists and political staff members of the Legault government were present in Trois-Rivières to celebrate the party’s 10th anniversary. Among them was Virginie Dufour.
La Presse had interviewed and quoted her in a text published on 14 November. The CAQ is “the party that does the most in the environment,” said the activist in the riding of Sainte-Rose as reported. In the interview, she insisted: “they have done more than previous governments”.
Virginie Dufour specified that she was well placed to speak. She had just left her position as head of the environment on the executive committee of the city of Laval. She had been a city councilor since 2013.
According to her biography, she was named “Climate Champion” in 2019 by the Quebec Federation of Municipalities. She chairs the Association québécoise d’urbanisme.
In the same text, La Presse reported that according to Mr.me Dufour, however, it is questionable whether the third link is in line with the government’s environmental objectives. “But does [ce projet] will ? It’s not perfect, we agree, to make a tunnel in the river, ”she said.
Virginie Dufour is now the candidate for the Quebec Liberal Party in the riding of Mille-Îles, in Laval. His candidacy was announced in June.
She had tried to wear the colors of the CAQ, she has already recognized, specifying that her steps had started in November.
“At the time”, in November, “it was a good record” than that of the CAQ environment, said Virigine Dufour on Wednesday, during a press briefing given by its leader Dominique Anglade before a meeting with the mayor. of Laval, Stephane Boyer.
“I had told you that” that the CAQ is the best in the environment, “I have no shame in saying it that at the time, I thought it. But “the stubbornness of the tunnel, for me, is a no go. And it’s absolutely amazing that they continue in this direction. “If we are a candidate for the CAQ today, we have to swear allegiance to the tunnel and I was not ready to go there”.
His opinion changed in two months, according to his explanations. “I chatted with (Dominique Anglade) in January. I saw his vision, and the Liberal Party really changed under Dominique. I was unconscious at this time in November. And I have no doubt that I have chosen the best environmental platform. »
Dominique Anglade went to the microphone afterwards to shoot arrows in the direction of the CAQ. “I apologize, but it was the party that asked us to let go of the GES. […] They are not going to make us believe now that GHGs are important to them,” she said. “Virginia, she knows what climate change is and she knows what it takes” to fight against it.
This is the second time in four days that the Liberal leader is going to Laval. She is sparing no effort to keep the five Laval constituencies (out of six) that her party won in 2018 – including Mille-Îles. However, she says that her objective is also to conquer Sainte-Rose, a riding passed to the CAQ four years ago.