luc rabouin joins race to succeed valérie plante as projet montréal leader
he has served on the executive committee since 2021 and for the last year in the capacity as executive committee chairperson.
3 minute read
luc rabouin releases the city's financial report for 2023 at city hall in montreal on june 14, 2024. has joined the race to replace valérie plante as leader of projet montréal.
john mahoney/montreal gazette
he has been an elected official for just five years, but luc rabouin is now vying to lead projet montréal in hopes of becoming the city’s next mayor. rabouin officially submitted his candidacy papers on wednesday in the race to replace valérie plante as leader of the party in power at city hall. plante announced her intention to step down as party leader in october.
“after a long and deep consideration, i have decided to enter into the race to lead projet montréal,” rabouin said in a phone interview wednesday. “with all the economic uncertainty, the housing and homelessness crisis, and major challenges with infrastructure, i think montrealers need someone who is reassuring, who knows the city well, but also the boroughs.
“i think i have the qualities needed to take over quickly.”
rabouin has served on the executive committee since 2021 and for the last year in the capacity as executive committee chairperson. his principal job was to manage the city’s finances and prepare its budget.
he has already received endorsements from équiterre co-founder laure waridel and fellow plateau-mont-royal councillor alex norris, who wrote statements of support on their facebook pages.
rabouin is the second candidate to submit candidacy papers since the leadership race officially began on monday. former party president guedwig bernier entered the race on monday.
advertisement
rabouin said he is proud to run on his record as both mayor of the plateau-mont-royal borough and on the executive committee. he also vowed to continue the work that plante started.
“we have different personalities, but there will be continuity because it is still projet montréal,” rabouin said. “i got into politics because of the ecological transition, and that remains a fundamental priority for me. the housing crisis is also a priority, as well as the redevelopment of the east end. my fourth priority is to ensure much more efficient city services so we can have an administration with a rigorous use of public funds.”
rabouin will also propose to create a better bus lane service, similar to the réseau express vélo for bikes, so that bus lanes are more efficient and buses are no longer stuck in traffic.
with experience in the financial sector, rabouin served as director of strategic development at the caisse d’économie solidaire desjardins before he entered municipal politics.
he was first elected in a byelection in 2019 to replace former party leader luc ferrandez.
soon afterward, he was named to the executive committee by plante, first as the member responsible for economic development and then as chairperson a year ago after dominique ollivier resigned from that position in scandal.
advertisement
among his achievements as the mayor’s no. 2, rabouin said he is particularly proud of how he was able to help save an important green space near trudeau airport. rabouin said he helped broker an innovative deal with groupe hypertec to swap land in order to preserve an ecologically sensitive area in the woods located in the city’s technoparc district.
“i am someone who is poised and pragmatic, but i can also come up with creative solutions,” he said. “the city didn’t have the money to buy that land, so i took that file and was able to work with other partners to offer another parcel of land so they could continue to operate and create jobs in the city of montreal. that was good for both economic development and the environment.”
potential projet montréal candidates have until jan. 31 to submit their candidacy papers. confirmed candidates will be announced on feb. 3 for members to vote on march 15.
share story
