The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government continues its effort to destroy the social safety net. After health, education, housing and energy, it is now the turn of public transport. Minister Geneviève Guilbault made a lot of noise last week by refusing to make up the deficit of public transport companies. This lack of vision endangers a means of transport on which many people depend to go to work, pick up children from school or go to the doctor.
The minister’s final offer has fallen: she will absorb 70% of the deficits of transport companies with total aid of 265 million for 2024. She claims that the government does not have the money to do more. However, Quebec is preparing to invest 2.8 billion in the Swedish company Northvolt for the production of electric batteries.
The minister says that cuts should be made to health or education to better finance public transportation. If the government has the means to pay 7.6 billion over five years to encourage the purchase of electric cars, build a bridge-tunnel and lower taxes, how does it explain that it has no money to finance public services, social programs and public transportation? It’s not a question of money. It is a question of political choices.
Public transportation is the most effective way to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG), as revealed by a study carried out by the Quebec Urban Transport Association. Road transport is responsible for 35% of our GHG emissions, this is where we must act, but with consistency. To achieve our GHG reduction objectives, we need public transportation. It seems that the CAQ has not understood this!
Public transport needs investments, not cuts! The Assoiffés de justice collective, supported by the Family Economy Cooperative Association of Northern Montreal, has been demanding for more than two years nothing less than free public transportation for all. Not only would this meet our climate goals, but also social justice goals by ensuring the ability to travel for the entire population. This is a great opportunity to rethink our society.
Utopian?
This measure, which may seem utopian, would cost the government an additional 1 billion per year. This is barely more than half of what the 2023 tax cut (1.8 billion) cost. A tax cut which has a minor impact on taxpayers. We are talking about a drop of $109 per year for an income of $30,000 and $329 for an income of $50,000. In these difficult inflationary times, free public transport would have a much greater financial impact on households. In Montreal, for example, a couple with two teenagers would save more than $300 per month.
Why should the government pay $1 billion more for public transit if not everyone uses it? Well, everyone pays for the roads. And it costs a lot more than 1 billion per year. The budget of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility which is allocated to road transport (70%) is much larger than for public transport (30%). However, those who do not have a car pay for that too. Remember that car use costs the government 4.8 times more than public transportation.
With Minister Guilbault’s refusal to finance the entire deficit of transport companies while the government has announced billions for the development of the electric battery sector, it could not be clearer: the CAQ does not want to invest in the public transport. The energy transition is neither more nor less a business opportunity with solo car driving at its center.
Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced total investments of 50 billion for the energy transition. Let us ensure that it is truly sustainable, focused on the needs of citizens and oriented towards a more promising future. Let’s take a step in the right direction and take some of this money to make public transit free. The government must show leadership. It’s time for him to rethink his priorities and invest in solutions that benefit everyone, not just Tesla owners.