Quebec premier defends decision to open third link possibility on social media

Shattered by Monday's election defeat in Jean-Talon, Premier François Legault surprised everyone with the negative reactions and jeers that followed his unexpected announcement that he would consult the public on the third link in Quebec City.

On Tuesday, the day after the byelection, he took all observers by surprise by opening the door to a highway section of the third link, saying that nothing could be ruled out.

"It's important to consult the public and not rule out the possibility of having a third link, whether it's a bridge or a tunnel for trucks. We have to look at all the possibilities," he said during question period in the Salon Bleu, the day after his speech.

Addressing the public on social networks on Saturday, Legault denied having given in to panic and pulled a rabbit out of his hat.

"We added last April that we would revisit this decision every five years. So there's nothing surprising in my opening remarks on Tuesday," he said in his post. "We're going to think about another option that's effective and less costly."

However, he said nothing about the project he was advocating in the spring: a third link between Quebec City and Lévis, but one that would be dedicated solely to public transport. It was a firm commitment, he stressed at the time.

To defend his new position, the premier evoked an almost apocalyptic scenario in which "one day or another, something will happen" that will cause the Pierre Laporte bridge, whose venerable age (60 years) he said, to close for a more or less long period.

"Maybe only in 10, 20 or 30 years, but imagine the paralysis for an entire region!" said Legault in his post.

He also defended the supporters of the third link.

"We know that one day or another, we'll have to build a bridge," he said. "The will of the citizens of our Capitale-Nationale is therefore perfectly sensible."

While the premier said he understands that voters in the greater Quebec City region may have felt betrayed by the abandonment of the third link in the spring, he refuted the accusation that he was dishonest in this matter.

"Many people even think that I wasn't honest, and that hurts me deeply. I have many faults, but not that one," he wrote.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 7, 2023.