The new minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale, Jonatan Julien, promises to be an “unwavering ally” to the mayor of Quebec Bruno Marchand in several files, including that of the tramway.
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Jonatan Julien was received at Quebec City Hall by the mayor on Wednesday afternoon for a first “work session”.
“It’s fun … it’s like coming home,” said the former right arm of Régis Labeaume. The latter had left municipal politics in 2018 following a famous clash with the former mayor who had reproached him for having “escaped” him in the file of the new police station.
Stevens LeBlanc/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
We know the rest. Mr. Julien made the jump to provincial politics in Charlesbourg and was first elected in 2018 before being re-elected this fall.
Will the new mayor be able to count on him on the tram file? “That’s the role I have as head of the Capitale-Nationale! “, he replied at the end of a” very nice meeting “, to use his words.
“We have the same goals”
“The mayor and I have the same objectives on socio-economic development and improving the quality of life of citizens and I will be an unwavering ally on these objectives,” he said.
“Our government is in favor of the tram project, it couldn’t be clearer. We reiterate that we are the Réseau Express de la Capitale (REC) project with all its parts (including the 3rd link and the tramway) then we will work jointly with the town hall, ”he explained, promising to be more talkative tomorrow.
Mr. Julien will be back at City Hall on Thursday morning to participate in an announcement with the mayor on the cultural revival of downtown Quebec. The two men joked in front of the cameras on Wednesday and seemed to get along like thieves at a fair. “We’ve seen each other a few times and we really like each other,” said Julien.