Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand rejected claims that the provincial election showed voters oppose the tramway project. Conservative Party leader Eric Duhaime, by contrast, says the result should affect the project’s future.
Duhaime plans to continue his campaign against the tramway and has urged premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to reconsider the project in light of the election. Marchand called that conclusion unfounded. The Conservatives won 36% of the vote in the Capitale-Nationale region, the mayor noted. In his account, the other 64% went to parties that support the tramway.
Marchand also compared the results by riding. The Conservatives won six of roughly nine provincial ridings connected to Quebec City. A year earlier, tramway supporters won 18 of 21 municipal districts, or 86%. The mayor said the election cannot be treated as a referendum on one issue because voters weigh many questions.
The Conservative Party is the only party in Quebec’s National Assembly opposed to the TramCité project, Marchand said. He added that premier-designate St-Pierre Plamondon supports the tramway and reiterated that position during the campaign. Marchand said he spoke out to counter what he views as inaccurate interpretations of the election results.