Despite the inconclusive marriage with Ralliement pour Montréal and the defection of several of its candidates, Balarama Holness believes that his party represents a credible third way against his opponents Valérie Plante and Denis Coderre. In editorial interview at To have to, the leader of Mouvement Montreal argues that his political formation embodies the new generation of Montrealers.
Balarama Holness admits that his alliance with Marc-Antoine Desjardins, leader of Ralliement pour Montréal, was strategic. Thanks to this merger, he was able to bring together 70 candidates and increase his chances of becoming mayor.
The two allies, however, had major differences, particularly with regard to the French language and the funding of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). “We had different visions, but we said to ourselves: ‘this is Montreal,’” explains Balarama Holness. “Is it possible to unite the two solitudes?” English and French, Blacks and Whites? “
Balarama Holness maintains that Marc-Antoine Desjardins had been approached by Ensemble Montreal and that letting him unite with this political formation would have ensured the victory of Denis Coderre on November 7. He therefore took the gamble of a merger with Ralliement pour Montréal despite the disputes. “Within the parties, there are always disagreements. This is completely normal, ”he argues.
Except that this alliance did not give the expected effects. Marc-Antoine Desjardins slammed the party’s door, and five of his candidates left the ship. And rather than increase its support, Mouvement Montréal has lost some. The Léger surveyThe duty published in September – before the merger – gave it 8% of the voting intentions while Ralliement pour Montréal obtained a 5% share. However, the CROP – Radio-Canada poll published last Thursday reveals that its support has dropped to 5%.
Balarama Holness points out that between the two polls, the support obtained by his opponents fell by 10 percentage points. And to clarify: “Everyone has decreased. “
Controversial proposals
Since the start of the campaign, Balarama Holness has made a lot of talk about him with his proposal to endow Montreal with a bilingual status. He admits that the idea helped shine the spotlight on his party. “When we released our economic plan, then our environmental plan, we had no attention [médiatique] He said. “We decided to put forward ideas to stand out. “
Despite the controversy, he does not budge. According to him, a bilingual status, which would allow citizens to obtain services in both languages from the City and allow businesses to conduct their activities in English and French, would not endanger French. “The French language will always have priority, will always be valued,” he emphasizes. “Without Bill 96, we would never have advanced this issue,” he adds.
Balarama Holness also pleads for a “city-state” status for Montreal in order to increase the powers and autonomy of the City in matters of immigration, health and education, without having to depend on other levels of government. . “Montreal is a metropolis, but it has the powers of a village. We need more power to really thrive, ”he explains. This exercise would require amending the Canadian Constitution, but, for Mr. Holness, this is not utopian. “People could say that Balarama was ten or twenty years before his time. That would be a legitimate criticism. “
Montreal is a metropolis, but it has the powers of a village. We need more power to truly thrive.
But at one point in the interview, Balarama Holness grows impatient. His most controversial proposals monopolize too much attention for his taste. His party has developed an electoral platform, he recalls, several aspects of which would benefit from being addressed.
Undecided to convince
In terms of housing, his party is proposing to build 30,000 affordable housing units and 24,000 social housing units. And unlike Valérie Plante, affordable housing means for him that its cost must represent 30% of the occupant’s income and not 10% less than its market value.
In terms of mobility, it promises free public transport for all people aged 25 and under and for seniors. He also suggests that companies can obtain tax credits if they buy tickets for their employees.
Balarama Holness clarifies his intentions regarding cyclists. The imposition of a driver’s license on cyclists, which he briefly touched on during the debate last Thursday evening at LCN, only targets e-bikes, he says.
On the environmental level, Balarama Holness insists on the need to reduce the territorial disparities which mean that the less well-off sectors of the city are less endowed with green spaces. “All Montrealers must have access to a green space, to fluid and adapted public transit and to a green and inclusive economy. “
Finally, in terms of security, he proposes to abolish certain managerial positions at the SPVM while maintaining the number of police officers in the field. However, part of the SPVM’s budget would be reallocated to other city services, such as the construction of sports infrastructure, which it sees as a prevention tool.
With less than two weeks before the poll, Balarama Holness does not consider himself beaten, even if the road to town hall promises to be difficult. According to him, the rate of 27% of undecided in the most recent survey testifies to the disavowal of many Montrealers with regard to Valérie Plante and Denis Coderre.