Jane Toller, warden of the MRC Pontiac, says that the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) attempted to recruit her to run to be the MNA for the Pontiac for this year’s election.

Toller said that Geneviève Guilbault, who serves as the deputy premier of Quebec and Mathieu Lacombe, who serves as minister responsible for the Outaouais both came to Fort Coulonge to ask Toller to run for the CAQ on July 13, 2021.

“My answer to them was that if André Fortin was going to seek re-election, I would not run against him,” said Toller. “Because he is a friend and has been a champion for the Pontiac. I also explained to them that . . .

I felt that my purpose was in regional municipal government, not provincial or federal.”

While Toller stressed that she supports Fortin’s re-election bid, which was demonstrated by the fact that she spoke at the announcement of his re-election campaign, she says she also supports many of the things the CAQ has done for the region.

“In the Pontiac we need to work with everybody,” said Toller. “Quite frankly, the CAQ government has done more for the Pontiac in their short period of time than other governments. They gave us over a million dollars for our signature innovation plan and they’ve given us $5 million to spend from now until 2025 on the revitalization for Pontiac.”

Toller also praised the CAQ for bringing high speed internet to the region and now beginning work in building cellular service infrastructure.

“Legault was elected by rural Quebec and he knows that to bring up the level of the province of Quebec, the best way to do that is to go to the devitalised areas first,” said Toller.

Toller says her position requires to work with whoever and therefore she needs to be on good terms with the CAQ. As a part of this Toller donated $200 to Mathieu Lévesque, CAQ MNA for Chapleau, a riding in Gatineau, at the request of Lévesque’s campaign manager.

“I just thought that it would be a supportive way, really a small way, to show support for Mathieu Lévesque who has also been very instrumental and helpful for me gaining access to ministers, because he’s well respected in the CAQ,” said Toller about the donation.

“My realization is that I cannot be working against the party that is in power and will be in power after this next election,” said Toller. “You know, it’s sad to say but the Liberals will not be winning the election, probably André Fortin will win but he’s in a position of criticism.”

Toller explained that her position requires her to be pragmatic and work with everyone, especially the party in power.

“I am determined to revitalize the Pontiac, and I’m working on an energy from waste facility, I’m trying to get two forestry mills open, trying to build pools in Fort Coulonge for the aqua gym, and there are so many things I’m working on. These are major projects. I have to be in a position where I can work with everybody. I can’t be labeled and branded as a Liberal who is against the CAQ government because you know what, we’ll get nowhere and so quite frankly, I have to put politics aside.”

In other news, Toller also said that she expects that MRC will soon open up their closed plenary meetings to the public.

“I hope that by September, we could look at having public meetings and of course, if there are issues involving personnel or financial things that can’t be divulged immediately, then we would have an in-camera session at the end of the meeting,” concluded Toller.

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