Quebec Premier François Legault arrives at his office, Tuesday, April 25, 2023, in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
Quebec Premier François Legault heard today from caucus members expressing the fury of their constituents over the government’s decision to break a major election promise.
The Legault government’s decision last week to backtrack on a pledge to build a multi-purpose vehicle tunnel linking Quebec City with its south shore has dominated Quebec politics.
Backbencher Jean-François Simard says constituents in his Quebec City-area riding are outraged by the announcement that the tunnel will be reserved for public transit.
Opposition parties have seized on the issue, accusing Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec of deceiving voters in the October election to win support in the capital region.
Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says Legault treated voters as “political merchandise,” adding that he would table a bill to allow for the recall of politicians who break election promises.
Conservative Party Leader Éric Duhaime has launched a petition calling for the resignation of cabinet minister Éric Caire, whose riding is in the region and previously said he would resign if the tunnel project wasn’t realized.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2023.
