PQ red-faced over Assembly voting error
MNA Traversy almost in tears after mistakenly supporting CAQ motion
QUEBEC — Sometimes even a government can score in its own net.
Parti Québécois MNAs were redfaced Wednesday morning after realizing they had actually voted in favour of a joint opposition party motion denouncing the government’s spending cuts to universities.
The incident took place Tuesday when the National Assembly resumed sitting — apparently because the government’s deputy house leader, Mathieu Traversy, who was there to stickhandle rogue opposition pucks, was distracted.
Quietly presented by Coalition Avenir Québec MNA Stéphane Le Bouyonnec, the motion called on the government to waive the budget cuts, predicting that the reductions will “lead to an increase in the universities’ accumulated deficit.”
It added “the National Assembly reaffirms the importance for the government to reinvest in higher education.”
Instead of saying the government is against the motion, Traversy gave his consent, which effectively means the government accepted the motion’s wording.
Traversy tried in vain to get the vote retaken, but was overruled.
By Wednesday morning, Traversy was almost in tears over his rookie error.
“To err is human,” Traversy told the Cogeco news network. “You have to learn in political life, so I think I had a whole experience today.
“It all happened so fast and now I have to turn the page and continue to move forward.”
Premier Pauline Marois swiftly forgave the greenhorn’s mistake.
“It’s a learning process, ”the PQ leader said.
The motion was supposed to have no impact and the government was in no danger of falling.
But that did not stop the CAQ from trying to cash in on the incident.
“I understand the government supported us … in a rare moment of lucidity,” Le Bouyonnec quipped Wednesday during question period as PQ MNAs stared at their shoes or checked their smartphones.
He added it’s clear the government side was asleep at the switch, a reference to PQ MNA Daniel Breton, who was spotted napping Tuesday in his seat. (Breton later told reporters he believes he may have a sleeping disorder and is seeking medical assistance).
“Does the minister intend to call the university rectors and say the cuts are off ? Do they intend to respect the unanimous will of the National Assembly?” Le Bouyonnec asked.
CAQ house leader Gérard Deltell was on his feet, too.
“The word ‘require’ (in the motion) is clear,” Deltell said. “It is an order.”
But Jacques Chagnon, the house speaker, ruled the vote was more of “a wish” on the part of the legislature than an “order.”
The opposition parties conformed to Chagnon’s orders, but scoffed at PQ house leader Stéphane Bédard’s plea later that they should have more of a sense of fair play and recognize Traversy slipped up.
He also said from now on, he would like to see the wording of opposition motions a day in advance.