The Quebec Liberal Party and Quebec Solidaire are demanding that the Legault government now abandon the energy reform bill drafted by “super-minister” Pierre Fitzgibbon, after he confirmed his resignation on Wednesday.
“The bill must be withdrawn. We must hold a national consultation [d’abord] ” asks Liberal energy critic Marwah Rizqy.
The opposition MP was set to begin studying Bill 69 on energy next Tuesday, her first day in the National Assembly after leaving for maternity leave. She now believes it would be inappropriate to debate the text in a few days with Minister Fitzgibbon’s replacement, whose identity is not yet known.
“We cannot sit on Tuesday morning [de la semaine prochaine] with a minister who was sworn in two and a quarter minutes ago, who does not know the complexity of this bill,” said the Saint-Laurent MP, meeting with her Liberal colleagues in a Gatineau hotel this week.
Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois also set the abandonment of Bill 69 as a “condition for moving forward,” as he indicated on the social network X. In a written statement, his colleague, energy spokesperson Haroun Bouazzi, returned to the charge by also requesting a “national consultation” with a view to drafting a plan that would precede the tabling of a new bill.
” At least, [la démission de M. Fitzgibbon] “This is an opportunity for the government to do things differently when it comes to the energy transition. The CAQ must move from contempt and arrogance to an approach based on consultation and democratic participation,” he wrote.
Quebec’s Minister of Economy and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, confirmed Wednesday that he was leaving his position at the request of Premier François Legault. He denied being involved in any “quarrel” within the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ). On energy matters, he assured that, even if he leaves, “it is not [son] project that leaves”.
The PQ asks for time
For his part, the leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ), Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, was more conciliatory on Wednesday than his opposition colleagues. While he wants the government to take its time before starting to study the bill, he is not demanding that it start from scratch.
“Having studied it as a team, […] “It’s a bill that is complex and even unintelligible in some places,” said the PQ leader, during a press scrum in Rouyn-Noranda, where his caucus met on the eve of the parliamentary session.
“To say that someone who has not worked on this file, has not prepared this bill, will be able to have full control of the subject next week is simply not being honest with the opposition parties, the stakeholders and the population.”
Conflict over prices?
The energy reform proposed by Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon, encapsulated in Bill 69, plans in particular to allow the modulation of residential electricity rates. At the same time, Quebec Premier François Legault promised that Hydro-Québec rates will “never” increase by more than 3% per year.
Liberal Marwah Rizqy detects an unacknowledged conflict between Mr. Fitzgibbon and Premier Legault over electricity rates. “Clearly, the heart of the dispute between these two men was over intellectual honesty. […] Pierre Fitzgibbon has the intellectual honesty to say no, [la facture d’électricité] will increase, expect increases,” she analyzes.
The study of Project 69 should in principle begin next week in the National Assembly. However, no minister has been appointed so far to succeed Pierre Fitzgibbon; the swearing-in will take place on Thursday, announced Premier François Legault on Wednesday morning.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon also believes that the person chosen to take over will not have the credibility needed to dive head first into the bill next Tuesday. “A little modesty. [Il faut] “We didn’t foresee this and it has consequences on the preparation required for this bill,” he said.