The leader of Bloc Montreal, Balarama Holness, wants to impose a “congestion fee” of five dollars a day on all vehicles belonging to non-residents entering the island of Montreal, the equivalent of $1,300 annually for a worker who goes there five days a week.
Posted at 10:30 a.m.
This is one of the commitments made by the former candidate for mayor of Montreal, whose new provincial party — approved by the Chief Electoral Officer (DGEQ) despite a complaint from the Bloc Québécois — unveiled its electoral platform. Mr. Holness estimates that such a tax would free up $500 million a year “to maintain and improve Montreal’s infrastructure, generate new sources of revenue and encourage the use of public transit”.
His party, which presents about fifteen candidates – especially in the west of Montreal -, also proposes to require that a fifth of the sales tax of Quebec (TVQ) generated by the businesses of the metropolis “remains in Montreal” .
The group estimates the tax spin-offs that this other promise would have at about two billion a year. Balarama Holness says he would repurpose those funds to “build affordable housing, new sports facilities, after-school programs, parks and green spaces,” also supporting businesses “disproportionately” impacted by COVID-19, and to create “stricter regulation” against AirBnB.
In transport, the chef also intends to make free access to the metro and buses of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) during peak hours, between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. in the morning, then between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the end of the day.
“We are the only party campaigning for more autonomy and power for Montreal. The only way to achieve this is to unite Montrealers,” said the 39-year-old man during a press conference held Monday morning, revealing his slogan “United for our city”.
Languages other than French
In its platform, Bloc Montreal also undertakes “that languages other than French can be used to access health services”. Last October, while running for mayor of Montreal, Mr. Holness created controversy by suggesting holding a one-year public consultation on the use of French and English in institutions, with a view to holding of a “referendum on the linguistic status” of the metropolis.
The party also says it wants to advocate “a reform of health care based on the Dutch model”, which would maximize “profitability while significantly improving accessibility, coordination, quality and satisfaction of providers and patients”.
Unsurprisingly — it’s a long-standing commitment from Mr. Holness — the Bloc Montreal also wants to “repeal” laws 21 and 96 dealing respectively with the secularism of the state and the official and common language of Quebec. He intends to do the same for Law 32 on academic freedom and Law 40, which transformed school boards into school service centres.
In bursts, Mr. Holness finally promises to restart the expansion of Dawson College, to “fight” for a system of mixed proportional representation, to “depoliticize” immigration policy, or even “accelerate” the recognition of diplomas of foreign-trained professionals.