While the campaign leading up to October’s provincial election hasn’t officially started, Quebec’s political leaders were out in force on Wednesday, trying to drum up enthusiasm for their visions of the province’s future.

With his party leading in the polls, Coalition Avenir Quebec leader Francois Legault took some shots at the Liberals while unveiling his party’s transit plan.

“We don’t have a plan for the east of Montreal, we don’t have a plan for Notre Dame, we don’t have a plan for Laval, we don’t have a plan for the South Shore,” Legault said sarcastically.

The CAQ’s plan calls for a $10 billion investment in the Quebec Infrastructure Program between 2018 and 2030 and would include extending the upcoming REM light-rail project by 22 kilometres to Chambly  to the south and into Laval to the north.

Also included:

  • A tramway from Longueuil to Brossard that would interconnect with the REM
  • An extension of the Yellow Line
  • A streetcar from Pointe de L’Ile to downtown
  • An extension of the metro’s Blue Line

Not included in the CAQ’s vision are any additional transit options to and from the West Island or Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante’s signature proposal of a new Pink Line on the metro.

“If you look at the Pink Line, it’s between two actual lines and if you look at the volumes, we think there’s a more urgent need in the east of Montreal and on the South Shore and the North Shore,” he said. “When you look at the traffic during mornings, that’s where you see the difference.”

The CAQ wasn't the only party out to make a point. Parti Quebecois MNA Nicolas Marceau took time while announcing his intention to run again to express his concerns on the CAQ's rise. 

"The CAQ seems to be the flavour of the month, and that worries me," he said. "I can't stay on the sidelines and watch the danger that's threatening Quebec."

Even more minor parties lined up to get the licks in against the frontrunning. Green Party of Quebec leader Alex Tyrrell, who is running in the Verdun riding said that while the right-leaning CAQ has been polling strongly, to the point that some are predicting a majority government, he believes that’s more indicative of an overall desire for change.

“Unfortunately, they seem to think for the moment the CAQ represents change when really, what the CAQ is a continuation of the neoliberal policies of the Quebec Liberal government,” he said. “There’s a lot of different ideas on the table and there’s a lot of different parties that are proposing change other than the CAQ.”