Photo: Jacques Boissinot The Canadian Press The Minister of Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, agreed that her new law could create division.
Minister France-Élaine Duranceau agrees that her housing bill “can polarize,” but assures that it will serve the needs of all. She rather sided with one side, according to Québec solidaire, that of “Éric Duhaime and CORPIQ”.
In an open letter published in the pages of Devoir a few hours after the adoption of his bill 31 on housing, the elected CAQ leader responsible for Housing claims to “shake up established standards”.
“As a society, we must shed our resistance to change,” she writes. “We must use all resources to get good projects off the ground as quickly as possible. You know, I come from the business sector. I have often been criticized for this, but I am convinced that it is an asset. I am not afraid to do what it takes to deliver results. »
In a press scrum on Thursday morning, Ms. Duranceau agreed that her new law could create division. “When you shake up the status quo, obviously it can polarize,” she said.
If Minister Duranceau believes she is rebalancing the relationship between owners and tenants with her bill, Québec solidaire believes on the contrary that it widens this gap. “At best, in the best case scenario, Bill 31 will reinforce the status quo, it will enshrine the imbalance of rights which is creating, at the moment, the housing crisis,” thundered the co-sponsor. words of solidarity Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, describing the entry into force of “law 31” as “deeply sad”.
In fact, by adopting a bill which restricts the use of lease assignment across Quebec, the Coalition Avenir Québec has “chosen its side”, according to “GND”. “In the column of people who wanted this right to be abolished, there are two actors in all of Quebec: it's Éric Duhaime and then it's CORPIQ [Corporation of real estate owners of Quebec],” argued the elected representative in solidarity.
In an interview with the Devoir, Wednesday, the president of the board of directors of CORPIQ deplored the adoption of the bill, while congratulating Quebec for offering landlords a “veto on lease assignments”.
The PQ wants to reopen the law
During a press briefing on Thursday, the Parti Québécois committed to reopening the law if it were elected in 2026. “It is certain that we will review this law, because the situation will have become even more serious than it is, in part because of this law. We’re going to have to rework it, that’s for sure,” said PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.
Interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay, for his part, reiterated that Bill 31 was “on the wrong track.” “[The minister] can't congratulate herself on much in the morning,” he said.