Montreal mayoral hopeful Denis Coderre might be trying to take the island starting from the east, as three elected officials from the Pointe aux Trembles/Riviere des Prairies borough jumped ship from Louise Harel’s Vision Party to join the Coderre effort.
Borough Mayor Chantal Rouleau, who represents over 100,000 voters living in the eastern tip of Montreal island, pitched for her new team Thursday.
“I feel very good to be beside this man,” Rouleau said while flanked by the longtime Liberal MP Coderre. “I think he has really good ideas for Montreal."
She later told CTV Montreal that the Harel ship wasn’t going in the direction she wanted.
“I wasn't comfortable anymore with where it was going,” said Rouleau.
Also making the switch were area councillors Suzanne Décarie et Gilles Déziel.
Vision party leader Louise Harel put on a brave face when asked about the defections.
“Our values are non-negotiable. We don't sell them and we don't buy them it's unfortunate that Chantal Rouleau followed a leader without a program,” said Harel. “We are the majority at city council and we want to stay the majority at council.”
Harel faces a confidence vote at the Vision Party’s convention in two days.
