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The mayor of Gatineau is calling for the Outaouais to get its “fair share” of provincial investment and services after unveiling a list of 22 policy priorities in the midst of the Quebec election.
Maude Marquis-Bissonnette said the priorities touch on provincial jurisdiction such as health care, education, infrastructure, sports and culture – and many of these issues have a long history in the region.
“There’s no surprise in that platform,” Marquis-Bissonnette said in an interview with CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning.
“We’ve discussed the deficit in health-care access for years now.”
Marquis-Bissonnette said business leaders, community groups and heads of educational institutions have rallied together to form a “united front” and demand plans from local candidates.
She said the region has been forgotten by members of Quebec’s National Assembly, in part due to its distance from provincial legislators and proximity to Ottawa.
The Observatoire de développement de l’Outaouais (ODO) has been monitoring social spending and policy outcomes in the region and finds that even with Quebec’s transfers to Ottawa health-care institutions, the region lags in per capita health spending compared to other parts of Quebec.
The province would need to spend $272 million more per year to match spending in other regions, according to the ODO.
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Marquis-Bissonnette said the province needs to return respect to medical professionals after some chose to cross the Ottawa River for work after the Bill 2 controversy last winter.
“Not because they were making more money on the Ottawa side. They were actually making less sometimes, but because they have the equipment, they have the workers to work with, like nurses,” she said.
The mayor also said the province should pay for upgrading municipal services for the new hospital site at the Asticou Centre, which was chosen over a more central location preferred by health-care advocates and the local chamber of commerce.
Transit priorities
Masson-Angers Coun. Michael Korhonen, who is an Independant versus the mayor’s Action Gatineau party, said the policy priorities outlined in the document don’t reflect his constituent priorities – especially its call for provincial financing for the tramway west to Aylmer.
He did express support for Quebec to help the region catch up on infrastructure and a $20 million ask for two new ice surfaces in the city’s east.
Marquis-Bissonnette said the policy priorities were developed with the community and reflect priorities for people living in different parts of the city. She said it is a clear priority for residents of the western part of the city.
She said the document also calls for the province to continue funding for the Rapibus lines in the east and more buses for the STO.
Candidates respond
Mathieu Lévesque, the CAQ candidate in Chapleau, said he recognizes the Outaouais has catching up to do, but defended his party’s eight years in power.
“The region was left behind and neglected for a long time by the Liberal party,” he said in a French interview with Radio-Canada.
“We’re on the right track to catch up. We have also talked about the new hospital that’s coming. We know the sticking point is the location.”
Sacha Cannon, the Liberal candidate in Hull, said fighting for the region is why he’s chosen to run for office.
“In the last eight years, there has never been such a big gap in terms of underfunding health care. It’s funny that, at this moment, the Coalition Avenir Quebec is trying to fill its own gap,” he told Radio-Canada in French.
Mariève Forest, Québec Solidaire’s candidate in Hull, said her party has been talking about underinvestment in the Outaouais since 2018.
“We understand the frustration of the City of Gatineau and we’re ready to answer in several ways, but in a different way than the other parties: by reviewing the fiscal relationship between municipalities and the Quebec government,” she said in French.
“We want to give cities back the means to meet their ambitions.”
The Conservative Party of Quebec attended the presentation of the mayor’s priorities but did not respond at the time.
In a French statement last week, the Parti Québécois said it will ensure funding is equitable and adapted to the specific needs of the population and will review the mayor’s document in the coming days.