One year after electing him, very few Montreal residents have any kind of voter's remorse with Mayor Denis Coderre.
On Monday evening, the anniversary of his election, Coderre faced the public in an open and freewheeling forum: taking questions from a live audience during a special broadcast on CJAD radio.
Coderre said he wants to be open and transparent with the public and the media.
"You saw me so many times. I like to have that kind of relationship with the press, with all Montrealers. I want to be that bridge builder," said Coderre.
The mayor believes that part of that transparency includes eliminating corruption and collusion.
"The first step was an inspector general because we had to address and crystallize that issue of collusion and corruption and say OK, time to move on," said Coderre.
While Coderre may have a lot of supporters, his critics say he lacks substance, and doesn't always give the clear answers they're looking for.
Last week, interim Projet Montreal leader Luc Ferrandez gave Coderre a failing grade on his first year as mayor, saying he lacks vision.
"[The] main issues in Montreal -- jobs, housing, congestion -- no ideas in these three sectors, not a single word," said Ferrandez.
Coderre isn't phased by that kind of criticism from the opposition.
"I don't give a damn."
He said he is already tackling tough issues, and will continue to do so over the next three years.
CJAD and CTV Montreal are both owned by BellMedia.
