QUEBEC – Sometimes even a government can score in its own net.
Parti Québécois MNAs were red-faced Wednesday morning after realizing they had actually voted in favour of a joint opposition party motion denouncing the government’s own spending cuts to universities.
The incident took place Tuesday when the legislature resumed sitting – apparently in a moment of distraction.
The motion has no impact and the government is in no danger of falling but it marred the government’s return to the house.
“There was confusion,” said Terrebonne MNA Mathieu Traversy, who is the government’s deputy-house leader and was in charge at the moment the motion was tabled by the opposition parties.
The motion was presented by Coalition Avenir Québec MNA Stéphane Le Bouyonnec.
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.
On Wednesday, Le Bouyonnec seized the moment to rub salt into the wounds of the PQ.
“I understand the government supported us … in a rare moment of lucidity,” Le Bouonnec quipped during question period.
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He added that it’s clear the government side was asleep at the switch, a reference to PQ MNA Daniel Bréton who was spotted napping Tuesday in his seat.
“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?”
CAQ house leader Gérard Deltell was on his feet, too.
“The word ‘require’ (in the motion) is clear,” Deltell said. “It is an order.”
By mid-morning Wednesday, Jacques Chagnon, the house speaker, had to make a ruling. He concluded that despite the wording of the motion, he interprets the vote as more of “a desire” on the part of the house rather 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 recognized Traversy slipped up.
He also said from now on, he would like to see the wording of opposition motions a day in advance.
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