(Montreal) The new super-minister of the Economy and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, again assured Sunday that he is ready to work with the president of Hydro-Québec, Sophie Brochu.
Posted at 9:33 p.m.
Updated at 10:02 p.m.
Passing through the set of the show Everybody talks about it on Radio-Canada, Mr. Fitzgibbon reiterated that there was never a “personal conflict” between Mr.me He and Brochu — even if the two have sometimes divergent visions on the management of Quebec’s hydroelectric resources.
At the end of the day, he said, everyone wants the same thing: “to use our renewable energy resources […] to decarbonize Quebec”.
Of course, he talked about hydroelectricity, but also about wind power, solar energy and biofuel.
“We want to use this to decarbonize Quebec, achieve our goals and create collective wealth. It’s not in opposition, it’s in harmony,” Mr. Fitzgibbon explained.
The Minister, who also stressed that he thought it was natural to add the Energy portfolio to that of the Economy — which he had during the CAQ’s first mandate — affirmed that the government will have to choose projects that are “desirable for Quebec” in its ecological transition.
Asked whether Quebecers will have to reduce their electricity consumption to offer more to the industries involved in this transition, Mr. Fitzgibbon remained cautious.
“We have to balance the demand, which must be justified to the population because it will be good for Quebec, see the supply we have, and find ways to compensate for what will be lacking. »
Mr. Fitzgibbon made these remarks three days after the formation of the new council of ministers of the Legault government. He was alongside Geneviève Guilbault, Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport, and Bernard Drainville, Minister of Education, during his visit to Everybody talks about it.
The third link: “a communication challenge”
Newly appointed Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault will have several issues to manage quickly in her new role: major work on the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel, the opening of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) and the management of the third link project between Quebec and Levis.
Regarding the closure of the tunnel linking Montreal to its South Shore, three lanes out of six of which will be inaccessible as of October 31, Mr.me Guilbault acknowledged that there is a “tough situation coming up”.
However, she promised to better convey the message of the existence of mitigation measures, such as the use of public transport and carpooling.
The arrival of the REM could also help decongest this sector, but it won’t be until spring. CDPQ Infra, which manages this automated light rail project, announced this week that the South Shore branch will not be ready this fall, as previously announced, but rather next spring.
Mme Guilbault, however, mentioned that he had been assured that this new deadline would be “the last” for this project, which has already had its share of adventures.
As for the third Quebec-Lévis link, the minister once again promised that the government will unveil its opportunity study at “early 2023”. She assured that the government is not hiding anything from the population in this matter.
“I’m a communication girl, I’m not someone who hides things or lies. I am transparent and proactive, and when we are able to communicate the information, you can be sure that we will do so. »
Drainville wants to reach an agreement with the unions
Even if he was not always kind to them during his time as a radio host, the new Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, wants to get along with the unions – who are waiting for him.
Mr. Drainville, who left his microphone at Cogeco to join the CAQ, affirmed from the outset that Education, “it is the most beautiful ministry that I could inherit”.
He said he was excited at the idea of being able to contribute to the education of young people and to be able to improve the system, stressing in passing that “many good things are happening” in Quebec.
To make the network better, Mr. Drainville opened the door to productive collaboration with the unions.
“There are problems and I think we can find solutions together. I’m not saying that I and the unions will always be on the same wavelength — maybe not — but I think that on a package of deals, we could agree,” according to Mr. Drainville. .