QUEBEC CITY – Opposition parties say the government should go back to the table and renegotiate its proposed deal with Bombardier.
READ MORE: Major Bombardier CSeries customer files for bankruptcy protection
After two separate meetings with the company’s management, opposition leaders insist there’s room to re-examine the province’s agreement to invest $1.3 billion in the aerospace company.
“We are working for the taxpayers of Quebec,” said Parti Québécois (PQ) leader Pierre Karl Péladeau.
“We need to protect the money Quebecers are investing in the company.”
Péladeau insisted the deal Premier Philippe Couillard struck with Bombardier is still not adequate.
READ MORE: What does Bombardier eliminating 7,000 jobs mean for Canada?
He said he walked away from a meeting with the company’s top brass Monday morning more convinced than ever.
READ MORE: Opposition accuses Quebec government of abandoning workers
“We’re taking all the risk and there’s no upside,” he said.
“We had the capacity to have upsides by investing in the parent company to be able to enjoy all the other assets that Bombardier is joining.”
READ MORE: Quebec drops lawsuit against Air Canada after Bombardier announcement
On this issue, the two opposition parties have shown a united front.
Coalition Avenir Quebec leader François Legault met with Bombardier management for about two hours on Friday.
READ MORE: Quebec premier, opposition react to Bombardier job cuts
Both leaders want the manufacturer of the C Series aircraft to guarantee jobs and keep its head office in Quebec.
They said they are also concerned that the federal government still hasn’t given any indication on whether it will invest.
Comments