Weak GDP growth: Marchand administration singled out

Faced with weak GDP growth in the region, the opposition at City Hall criticized the mayor for “dragging his feet” and ignoring the economy, to which Bruno Marchand countered that the politician had little visibility into the region’s economic performance.

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“It’s not just the mayor’s fault for being attractive. If a mayor tells you: “The economy is good, it’s because of me”, beware of that mayor. “The economy is much more complex than the mayor and the political administration,” began Bruno Marchand.

Quebec’s mayor anticipated reactions of opposition to an economic growth report released Tuesday that projects Quebec’s census metropolitan area (CMA) will record the lowest growth rate in Canada at 1.5% in 2022.

Dragging one’s feet

The two opposition parties of Québec d’abord and Équipepriorite Québec (ÉPQ) wasted no time in blaming the town hall for these disappointing performances. Official opposition leader Claude Villeneuve says the economy is not of interest to Bruno Marchand. “We don’t know what his plan is for the economic development of Quebec. Every time we talk to him about it, it’s like forcing a teenager to clean his room. It always lags behind.”

“I think politics will have an impact,” said ÉPQ’s Patrick Pocket. “While he’s dragging his feet and we’re talking a lot about the environment, at this point, we’re not talking about the economy.”

He confirms that traders are complaining that the city is not listening. “I think it’s a signal that we’re sending to the Marchand administration,” he said, but the harm can’t be attributed entirely to them. He is [le maire] Quebec needs a bit more attention on the economy.

The root of the problem is not politics

For Bruno Marchand, “Analysis does not identify politics as the source of the problem.”

A politician, he admits, can act on the appeal of the city and the workforce, as his administration does on a daily basis, he assures us. Especially by working on the tram project, which, according to him, is “essential” to the attractiveness of the city. Like the various mobility options he wants to put in place.

“We need to attract people here to revitalize our city. Mainly for economic reasons.

He notes that Quebec has received more immigration than any other city in Quebec except Montreal. “We’re attracting more people here than we’ve ever attracted compared to other cities in Quebec.”