All ridings are up for grabs

Interviewed by Courrier Laval at a recent gathering of the PQ’s National Council, Mr. Boisclair expressed confidence in the five pequiste candidates who’ll try to make a breakthrough on Laval island, a region whose five sitting MNAs are Liberal.

“Laval voters will find our candidates to be confident and competent individuals. It’s a team of people who will keep their word. There’s a nice balance between men and women."

When asked about the PQ’s chances of picking up seats in Laval, Mr. Boisclair answered that “Every seat in Laval is winnable, including Chomedey (a reputed Liberal bastion). When I look at the divisions that plague the ADQ (Action démocratique du Québec) and the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ), the wounds will take a long time to heal.”

Education and health are the main planks of the PQ platform. “Tuition fees are a choice that we have to make as a society. We must invest public funds in the education of the people of Quebec. I’m very worried about the 30% increase proposed by Jean Charest. I intend to keep the fees frozen at current rates,” Mr. Boisclair explained.

In the health sector, Mr. Boisclair endorses the present practice of concentrating certain specialized medical services in hospitals of large urban centres, but emphasizes that the problems of unreasonable waiting times and first response treatment must be resolved. “At present, there are 1.6 million people in Quebec who do not have access to a family doctor,” the PQ leader deplored.

On transportation, Mr. Boisclair recalled that the Laval Metro was an original PQ project. “It was the PQ’s idea. (And) we’ve gotten our money’s worth when we compare the costs per kilometre with much higher costs in many other large cities of the world. The bottom line for the Laval Metro comes in at average cost,” the PQ leader concluded.

(Photo: Martin Alarie)