Legault defends decision to revive hope for third link after Quebec City byelection defeat

In the aftermath of the CAQ’s byelection defeat in Jean-Talon, Quebec Premier François Legault says he was surprised by the negative response following the unexpected announcement of his desire to consult the public on the third link to Quebec City.

On Tuesday, the day after the byelection, Legault took people by surprise by opening the door to the highway component of the third link, saying nothing could be ruled out.

BACKGROUND: François Legault revives hope for third link project after defeat in Quebec City

“It is important to consult the population and then not exclude the possibility of having a third link, whether it is a bridge or a tunnel for trucks. We must look at all the possibilities,” he said.

On social media Saturday, Legault denies having given in to panic.

“We added last April that we were going to revisit this decision every five years,” he wrote. “There is therefore nothing surprising in my remarks on Tuesday. We will think about another option, effective and less expensive,”

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

To defend himself, the premier evoked an almost apocalyptic scenario where “one day or another, something will happen” that will cause a closure of the Pierre-Laporte bridge, which is 60 years old, for a period of time.

“Maybe only in 10, 20, 30 years, but imagine the paralysis for an entire region!” wrote Legault.

He also defended the supporters of the third link.

“We know that one day or another, we will have to build a (bridge). The will of the citizens of our Capitale-Nationale is therefore perfectly sensible.”

While the Quebec premier may understand why voters in the greater Quebec region may have felt betrayed by the abandonment of the third link in the spring, he refuted the accusation of having been dishonest.

“And many even think that I have not been honest, which hurts me deeply. I have many faults, but not this one,” he wrote.

—This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews