Transparency and collaboration
" Laval and its democracy would benefit from a more transparent and inclusive administration. "Claude Larochelle, Interim Leader of Parti Laval
Laval, Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - At the April City Council meeting, Parti Laval called for greater collaboration and transparency from the Boyer administration. At a time when the municipal political climate calls for collective reflection, opposition members Claude Larochelle and Louise Lortie respectively tabled a notice of motion to hold plenary sessions more regularly, and a notice of motion to make video recordings of executive committee meetings available online. "The lack of transparency in municipal administration undermines citizens' confidence in their elected representatives, and limits the work of the opposition, which plays an essential role in the democratic balance. We need to do better in terms of governance", says Mr. Larochelle, who pledges to redouble his efforts to provide Laval with more transparent and inclusive governance.
For Laval democracy
By calling on the Boyer administration to put things right, Parti Laval hopes not only to contribute to improving the political climate, but also to enhance Laval's democracy, which has been in a poor state for several years, as evidenced by the famously low turnout of 28.8% in the last municipal elections.
" The Boyer administration itself seems to recognize that the current municipal climate throughout Quebec is in a sorry state. Elected officials need to work together. Plenary sessions offer a less partisan forum for discussion without the usual formal framework. Broadcasting Executive Committee meetings would be another way of promoting transparency and providing greater access to information for the public and the media. It's not right that there aren't enough plenary sessions or broadcasting of Executive Committee meetings in Quebec's third-largest city. "said Parti Laval interim leader Larochelle.
Despite the adoption of Parti Laval's proposal for plenary sessions, Louise Lortie stresses that we need to go much further to improve Laval's democracy. " There needs to be much greater willingness and respect. We need to be able to engage in serious, open discussions between elected representatives on crucial issues. All too often, the Boyer administration bypasses the role of elected representatives by avoiding debates, making access to information laborious, and even providing decision-making documents at the last minute," asserts Ms. Lortie.
"The adoption of our proposal for plenaries is a step in the right direction and I look forward to its realization. What's a shame is that we had to put forward a proposal for the mayor to keep the promise he made in November 2021. The mandate has now been given, and I'm optimistic that we'll be able to put in place a structure that will enable us to hold regular plenary committees in the very near future! In the meantime, I'm reaching out to elected officials to work together more closely, and I'm calling for greater transparency, particularly on the part of the executive, concludes Claude Larochelle.
Source: Responsable des communications - Office of the Official Opposition of Ville de Laval
Information: Tommy Vallée │438 875 8663 │t.vallee@laval.ca