Cabinet shuffle a loss for de-merged cities: mayors

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD

andy.blatchford@transcontinental.ca

Premier Jean Charest’s cabinet shuffle has softened the voice of the West Island’s de-merged cities, local mayors say.

Charest unveiled a smaller cabinet last week, leaving Jacques Cartier MNA Geoff Kelley the odd man out.

Local mayors say Charest’s move silenced Kelley’s campaign to solve the burning issue of Montreal’s agglomeration council.

“(Premier Jean) Charest basically gave the bird to the anglophone community, and in particular, the residents of Jacques Cartier,” said Beaconsfield Mayor Benedetti.

“I guess he (Kelley) was just making too much noise on our behalf at the cabinet table. That’s what Charest does. You bother him, he gets rid of you.”

Kelley, a Beaconsfield resident, was removed from his post as Minister of Native Affairs, a position he held since 2004.

Benedetti said Kelley’s experience and hard work should have earned him a spot in the cabinet. The MNA’s riding covers Beaconsfield, Baie d’Urfé, Pointe Claire, Ste. Anne de Bellevue and part of Kirkland.

Benedetti said Charest will only seek solutions to agglomeration — the island committee in charge of regional services — if he thinks it might win him a majority government in the next election.

“It’s going to have absolutely nothing to do about what is right and what they should do,” Benedetti said.

Mayors of the island’s de-merged suburbs, eight of which are in the West Island, say the Montreal-dominated agglomeration has unfairly dumped tax burdens of their residents since 2006.

Quebec made minor adjustments to the law that created agglomeration, but mayors and residents are adamantly asking for more.

Pointe Claire Mayor Bill McMurchie, meanwhile, said Kelley has been a “vocal supporter” of municipal issues, including agglomeration.

He said Kelley’s presence in cabinet also helped secure funding for the Lakeshore General Hospital and the expansion of Pointe Claire’s aquatic centre.

“It’s always nice to have somebody in the inner circle,” said McMurchie. “I think there’s a certain loss for sure.”

Even with Kelley’s demotion, the West Island still has a voice at the big table in the National Assembly.

Charest gave Nelligan MNA Yolande James the portfolio of immigration and cultural communities.

Nelligan blankets Senneville, Ile Bizard/Ste. Geneviève, part of Pierrefonds and part of Kirkland.

Senneville Mayor George McLeish said James is “very capable” but questioned her commitment to pushing for improvements to agglomeration.

“I did not get the impression that Ms. James did anything to fight for the de-merged towns,” he said of her work since first being elected in a 2004 byelection.

McLeish said Action démocratique du Québec Leader Mario Dumont’s campaign promise to abolish agglomeration is the reconstituted cities’ best hope.

The Senneville mayor publicly supported the ADQ before the March 26 election.

“If there’s going to be any changes in the agglomeration structure I think it will be driven by Mr. Dumont,” McLeish said of the official Opposition leader.

De-merged mayors meet with Dumont

Nine mayors of reconstituted cities met with Dumont yesterday at his office in Montreal to discuss agglomeration, said Benedetti.

The mayor hopes the ADQ leader’s clout as official Opposition leader will help the municipalities’ cause.

“He promised to meet with us and he did,” he said. “I think we can count on him to ensure the Liberals do more than just pretend to take care of the problems.

“At least somebody’s listening to us in a position of some power in the government.”

Benedetti said the mayors spoke to Dumont about democratizing agglomeration and clear definitions as to what is a regional service.

“Up until now the Liberals have been able to ignore us because there’s no political price,” he said. “He (Dumont) can put a price to it.”