Geneviève Guilbault negated allegations of intentionally concealing information associated with the third connection.
Quebec's Transport Minister, Geneviève Guilbault, has denied allegations that she exerted pressure on her ministry to delay the release of traffic data related to the 2023 Origin-Destination Study for the Quebec-Levis Region. A review of current search results reveals no reports or credible sources confirming such actions by Minister Guilbault.
On June 12, Minister Guilbault proposed moving the third Quebec-Levis link further west, between the existing bridges. The government of François Legault, however, wants the third Quebec-Levis link to consist of a suspension bridge and a tunnel to the north.
The controversy surrounding Minister Guilbault began when email exchanges obtained through a freedom of information request suggested that her office asked the ministry to wait until the announcement of a new Quebec-Levis route before making the study results public. Emails dated early May indicate that the figures were supposed to be published on May 15 but were postponed due to "pressure from the cabinet." There was also an email indicating that the cabinet asked to consult the key findings of the 2023 Origin-Destination Study - Quebec-Levis Region to confirm the ideal time to release them.
However, Minister Guilbault assured that she had no role in choosing the new release date for the data but had asked for "a little extra time" in May to analyze it. The study, which involved nearly 37,000 households in Quebec and Levis, was eventually released on June 20, eight days after the government announced a new route for the interrives link.
The study showed a 6.8% decrease in daily trips between Quebec and Levis since the previous study in 2017. The Parti Québécois denounced Guilbault's version of events, calling it "cat food," while the interim male spokesperson for Quebec solidaire, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, expressed concern about the pressure from Minister Guilbault's office on civil servants. Marwah Rizqy, Liberal deputy, accused Minister Guilbault of trying to "manipulate and hide information" to serve her own political agenda.
Cliche-Rivard also criticized the CAQ government for trying to force through its project for a third link, despite data and common sense. He claimed that the CAQ government is swallowing up billions of public money while asking schools to tighten their belts. Pascal Paradis, MP for the Parti Québécois, questioned the government's ability to analyze survey results in 15 days.
In a rare public appearance, Melania Trump gave a glimpse of her personal beliefs, while another suggested article mentions an increase in military remuneration by Mark Carney to address recruitment problems. The overturning of the Trump government's conviction for contempt of court in a case of deportations of migrants to El Salvador was also reported.
In conclusion, while allegations of pressure on Minister Guilbault to delay the release of traffic data have been made, no evidence has been found to support these claims. The controversy surrounding the third Quebec-Levis link and the release of the 2023 Origin-Destination Study continues, with criticism from opposition parties and concerns about the use of public funds.
The proposed third Quebec-Levis link, originally suggested to be positioned further west by Minister Guilbault, faces controversy, with the current government favoring a suspension bridge and a tunnel to the north. Furthermore, the political arena is abuzz with discussions about policy-and-legislation surrounding the transportation industry, as the contrasting views of opposition parties and the CAQ government come to light, especially in regards to the financing and strategic release of data from the 2023 Origin-Destination Study - Quebec-Levis Region. Lastly, the general news landscape is cluttered with a myriad of international stories, including the personal beliefs of Melania Trump, the escalating military remuneration debates, and the court ruling overturning the Trump government's contempt of court conviction in a case involving deportations to El Salvador.
