Montreal councillors to form new political party

Marvin Rotrand answers reporters' questions at city hall.

The political landscape at Montreal city hall will be changing, again.

When Montreal politicians started abandoning Union Montreal last fall, many pundits wondering if the party would survive until the 2013 election.

Councillor Marvin Rotrand, among others, is apparently taking part in the creation of a new political party.

The party is expected to have a limited platform that will focus on the economic development of the city.

“Montrealers want to talk about real stuff, like prosperity and the economy and jobs locally and how the city can be part of that, rather than sterile debates on structure,” said Rotrand.

When councillors were elected in 2009, Union Montreal had a majority with 38 seats, while Vision and Projet Montreal had 16 and 10 councillors respectively.

Eighteen councillors -- including Mayor Michael Applebaum -- now sit as independent councillors, while Union Montreal saw its party reduced to 20 people.

Rotrand would not say how many councilors would join the as-yet-unnamed party, but sounded optimistic.

“I think you’re going to see a lot of movement to this new party,” he said. “(It’s) a party in evolution, which I think has a great deal of attractiveness to it. It is doing something different and new, and is saying to Montrealers that we’re going to put aside the bickering at city hall… for a party based on solutions and competence. I think that’s going to get a lot of people on board.”

According to CTV Montreal reporter Aphrodite Salas, Rotrand is expected to make an announcement about this new party within the next few days.

This does not mean he intends to run for mayor, he said.

“My role, if there is a demand to the government of Quebec, will be simply limited to being the contact person as the law requires. The law requires somebody’s name there as interim leader. That does not mean I have any desire to be a mayoralty candidate or the leader of this party,” he explained.

Rotrand said more details would be clarified on the new party in February.