Return of the megasquabble

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by Craig Segal

It didn't take long for malodorous odours to surface from the carcass of the megacity election. In the new megacity, neighbourhood councillors have a shot at making up to $20,000 more as borough president. But getting the gig is complicated. In city boroughs, elected councillors are expected to choose the president from amongst themselves. So what happens in the Plateau, which has two Tremblay councillors and two Bourque councillors? Mayor Bourque says one of his guys should be president since he got the most votes. With 5,248 votes, Nicolas Tétrault got almost as many votes as the two Tremblay councillors combined. But is Tremblay refusing Bourque's request?

"Mr. Tremblay said during the campaign that he will do what citizens want," says Robert Dolbec, director of communications for Team Bourque. "I guess people change their minds after they are elected." Tremblay's people call that hypocritical. "Mr. Bourque was supposed to let the councillors choose their presidents in their boroughs, and he has chosen them all himself," says Tremblay PR flak Sylvie Bussières. "That's why [city councillors Colette Paul and Marius Minier] quit his party."

Pointe-aux-Trembles Team Bourque city councillor Minier agrees. "Just until yesterday I didn't know what foot to stand on," Minier told the Mirror. "But yesterday on TVA, Bourque said he's chief of the party, and he makes the decisions. It's like we're nothing in the party, like we didn't help Bourque get re-elected."