Robert Poëti joins list of MNAs calling it quits
Former transport minister cites health issues in choice to end political career
QUEBEC Denying there is any friction between him and the premier, Robert Poëti announced Wednesday he is ending his political career to make room for a new, younger face in the party.
He also wants to get his life back after six years of making the run between Quebec City and Montreal, adding he has had some minor health issues signalling he needs to take better care of himself.
“I was proud to represent my people in LaSalle, but right now I have decided to do something else in October and have a different type of life,” Poëti said at a news conference at the legislature.
The 15th Liberal MNA to announce he won’t seek re-election, Poëti’s decision took everyone off guard. Poëti’s nomination meeting making him the official candidate in the Marguerite-Bourgeoys riding has already been held.
Among the surprised was Premier Philippe Couillard, who learned the news at the same time as everyone else: when he walked into the Liberals’ morning caucus meeting and Poëti announced it.
The 62-year-old Poëti also made the announcement on his Facebook page, saying he would continue to serve as an MNA until the general election in October.
“It was not a sign of a lack of respect,” Poëti insisted. “I made the announcement at the same time to everyone.
“It’s not the leader who pushed me to leave. It’s me who thinks another four years might be a bit much. If people think I have a bad relationship with Mr. Couillard, it is not true.”
First elected in 2012, Poëti served as transport minister and minister responsible for Montreal in Couillard’s first cabinet from April 2014 to January 2016.
At the start of 2016, Poëti found himself relegated to the backbenches after Couillard shuffled his cabinet, a move that sparked criticism from the opposition that the demotion was because Poëti pointed out irregularities in the way the Transport Department was run and in the way it awarded contracts.
When Poëti left, he got his successor, Jacques Daoust, in hot water by releasing a letter calling into question the integrity of the ministry.
BLACK SHEEP
That instantly made him the darling of the opposition parties and the media — he was known for his killer quotes — but a kind of black sheep with Couillard’s entourage, which didn’t always appreciate his whistle-blowing.
Poëti, a former police officer, did return to the cabinet last October when he was named minister for integrity in public procurement and information resources.
On Wednesday, that appeared to be water under the bridge, with Couillard stopping in the hallway to thank Poëti and wish him well.
He insisted his decision to demote Poëti is something that happens in all governments when cabinets get shuffled, and Poëti’s departure, as with others, represents a golden opportunity for the Liberal party to renew itself.
The opposition was not so sure, describing the departure as another sign of decline.
“The man who incarnates integrity in the party decides not to run again,” said Parti Québécois Leader Jean-François Lisée. “It’s a signal.”
Speculation was running wild on where Poëti will land, with him denying that a job at the Garda World security firm awaits him. He also said having worked 28 years in the police force, that is also not an option.
Poëti did express satisfaction that he helped keep the government and bureaucrats on their toes when it came to ethics. He started reforms to the highway code, which were recently presented by Transport Minister André Fortin.
“I would say the ministry of transport is better today than it was when I arrived,” he said.
In his elaborate farewell video, Poëti thanks everyone without, however, naming Couillard.
It’s not the leader who pushed me to leave. It’s me who thinks another four years might be a bit much.