Opposition parties find it hard to believe that Prime Minister François Legault did not ask to see the cost estimates for the four scenarios of 3e link studied, which he refuses to make public on the pretext that they “are very summary”.
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“Well no, I don’t think so,” said Liberal MP Madwa-Nika Cadet, the day after a study session on budgetary appropriations during which the Prime Minister admitted that he had no “not seen” the amounts which are specified in one of the studies published last Thursday.
In the documents published on the internet, these amounts have been carefully redacted.
One of the four scenarios mentioned, however, consists of an under-river tunnel dedicated exclusively to public transport, an option chosen by François Legault for the continuation of the 3e link.
“willful blindness”
If François Legault has indeed committed to achieving a 3e public transport link without knowing what it costs, “it’s willful blindness”, considers the elected representative of Bourassa-Sauvé.
“Me, I find it inconceivable,” commented PQ MP Joël Arseneau.
“He would not know the figures, an accountant who will face, in credit studies, the other heads of other political parties? So I think there are two options: either the Prime Minister shows an absolutely aberrant lack of rigor, or he makes fun of us,” continued the PQ spokesperson for transport and sustainable mobility.
“I just can’t believe it, said in turn the solidarity deputy Etienne Grandmont. I cannot believe that the premier of Quebec, when he met with his chief of staff and then Geneviève Guilbault, when they decided to abandon the third link for another […] that the issue of cost has not been addressed. […] It’s such an important project. It can’t be.”
Legault defends himself
Asked about this before going to question period, Prime Minister François Legault explained that it would be risky to make public the amounts of the different scenarios analyzed.
“What I am told is that these are estimates which are very summary and that there would be a risk of making them public”, underlined the chief caquiste, repeating that he does not “know” the estimate of the costs associated with a tunnel dedicated exclusively to public transit between Québec and Lévis.
“As I said, we, currently, we do not exclude that it is a metro, that it is a tram, that it is a REM like in Montreal, mentioned the Prime Minister. We obviously have to look at what kind of public transport there will be in the tunnel before being able to give you an estimate, then as soon as we have this estimate, we will give it to you.