Premier François Legault reviews his visit to the Islands

Premier François Legault made a stop on the archipelago as part of a tour of Eastern Quebec.

In addition to attending the announcement of the development of a branch of the University of Quebec in Rimouski, the head of government took advantage of his stay to meet with Mayor Jonathan Lapierre and the management of  CTMA.

Acknowledging that the visit had an electoral flavour, Mr. Legault admits that it was also an opportunity to sound out the community and potential candidates from the Islands in view of the October election.

He says he is confident of taking the riding from the Parti Québécois.

On the other hand, the Prime Minister assures that the decree on insularity, adopted in 2016, will be better taken into account in the future, emphasizing understanding the specific characteristics of the Madelinot territory, and opens the door to strengthen its powers, including through a bill.

Asked about the lack of recurring funding that community organizations deplore, Legault said his government set aside $2.2 billion over five years in its March budget, including $149 million over the next year.

He emphasized the contribution of community organizations throughout the pandemic and reaffirmed their importance in the community.

After the Islands, François Legault headed to the Gaspé Peninsula to authorize the launch by Hydro-Québec of two calls for tenders for new supplies of wind and renewable energy.