Project Montreal’s Luc Rabouin is a new leader with a new approach

Projet Montreal leader Luc Rabouin follows Valerie Plante's vision, but with a new approach to doing things.

CTV News anchor Mutsumi Takahashi spoke to the five main candidates for Montreal’s next mayor.

Projet Montreal is led by former executive committee head and Plateau-Mont-Royal borough mayor Luc Rabouin.

Mutsumi Takahashi:

“You have tried to differentiate yourself from the [Valérie] Plante administration, promising to reverse some policies. For example, the road over Mount Royal, the frequency of garbage collection, but you were head of the city executive committee, so did you not agree with all the policies of the Plante administration when those policies were brought in?”

Luc Rabouin:

“You’re right. I was the president of the executive committee for one year. I was a member of this administration, and I decided to change different things, but I did not change the goal. I changed the way, and this is exactly what I want people to hear from me: that I have the same vision, values are the same. We work for Montrealers, the quality of life in neighbourhoods, but I have a different approach. I have a different experience. And this is what I want to show to Montrealers, and it’s why I decided to change different things, just to explain that there’s a new leader and there’s a new approach for Montreal.”

Mutsumi Takahashi:

“The issue of linguistic rights is very important to the English community. What is your commitment to them under your administration? Will the English community always be guaranteed essential services in English?”

Luc Rabouin:

“Yes, of course. French, we have to follow the rules decided by the government of Quebec, but we understand that here in Montreal, we absolutely need to offer services in the language that people can understand. When we talk about safety, security, and public health, it’s very, very important.

And the anglophone community has been here for so long. They built Montreal, and we have to be sure that they have services, essential services, in the language they can understand."

Mutsumi Takahashi:

“What do you think is Montreal’s biggest problem right now, and how would you fix it?”

Luc Rabouin:

“The biggest challenge we have, and it’s why I decided to launch my leadership race for Projet Montreal and to be the mayor of Montreal, is the housing and homelessness crisis. This is the biggest challenge we have to face. We absolutely need to be sure that every Montrealer has a roof over their head, and it’s why I proposed a different action.

The first one is to stop with Airbnb all year long because we need to offer all units for Montrealers. This is very different than Ensemble Montreal. I also want to be sure that we build more, but we do not just build more. We need to build more at a price that people can afford. This is why it’s very important for me that affordable housing, not-for-profit housing, is not optional. It’s mandatory. This is also another big difference with Ensemble Montreal."

Mutsumi Takahashi:

“If there is one single most important thing your party is offering that the other parties are not offering, that would improve the lives of Montrealers, what is it?”

Luc Rabouin:

“This, I believe, is really the question of quality of life in neighbourhoods and affordability. We, I want to fight to be sure that Montreal stays an affordable city. Our model is not Toronto or Vancouver. They built a lot, but you have to be rich to live in the central city. In Montreal, we have to be sure that everybody can live in Montreal, and this is the big difference. We don’t believe that the free market will resolve everything, even if we understand that we have to build more. With Projet Montreal, Montrealers can be sure that we will fight to be sure that everybody can have a roof over their head.”

Mutsumi Takahashi:

“There are always so many promises during election campaigns. What assurances do we have that you’re going to keep your promises?”

Luc Rabouin:

“The big difference is I know the city. I know how it works, I know the machine, and I know proposals that are realistic. This is really the way I present different things is I propose solutions that are feasible by the city themselves, without any weight from the other levels of government. I propose solutions that are feasible. I know why it’s feasible because I was in charge of the budget at the City of Montreal, so I know how to fund it, and I will not promise things that are not feasible. This is my trademark, and I really insist on that. What I propose it’s always feasible.”