One of Quebec Solidaire's MNAs has compared a proposed bridge to connect Quebec City with Levis to a "line of cocaine".
Catherine Dorion, the newly-elected MNA for Taschereau, which covers most of downtown Quebec City, made the eyebrow-raising analogy during a Facebook livestream Thursday. She says the bridge would not ultimately solve traffic problems in the region in the long-term, and could actually exacerbate them in the medium-term by prolonging the reliance of local residents on cars.
Known locally as the "troisième lien", the much-discussed third link between the provincial capital and its suburb across the Saint-Lawrence became a major talking point during the provincial election campaign this fall, and Quebec Solidaire was the only major party to oppose it.
The party says a third bridge would only further encourage suburban sprawl and would dampen the potential benefits of a coming streetcar system for Quebec City and its inner suburbs. The Legault Government has signalled that it intends to build both the bridge and the streetcar network at the same time.
Dorion, however, says that doesn't make any sense, because it would be contradictory. "You [would] take a lot of money and throw it in the garbage", she said on Facebook.