Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal, said on Friday that Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre showed disrespect to elected officials by describing the mayors of Montreal and Quebec City as "incompetent" on social media.

The Mayor of Montreal confirmed that she is "very upset" by the Conservative leader’s comments on Thursday when he accused her and Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand of obstructing the construction of new housing in their cities.

Plante continued on Friday in an interview with CJAD 800: "We keep talking about mental health and how we want everyone, in the whole community, to respect each other ... how he calls himself the leader and attacks personally, calls people names, for me, this is disrespectful to my work and his function, and to the job of anyone, as well as the kind of climate, the social climate we want to be a part of."

The previous day, the Conservative leader shared a quote from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) analyst Francis Courtelino in a Radio Canada report dated January 16, which said: "In Quebec, there have not been very few homes built since 1955, the year data collection began."

In an interview with CTV News, Courtelino said there is a shortage of single-family homes, but more high-density residential buildings are increasing.

He added on Friday: "If you look at the start of building a single-family home, it’s true there was a significant drop in 2023, the lowest since 1955." "But at the same time, apartments are starting, and that’s mostly what we have been building in recent years."

Poilievre pledged to link federal funds allocated to municipalities based on the number of homes they build if he becomes Prime Minister.

Marchand of Quebec City accused him of "petty politics" and expressing "contempt for elected officials and all those working on housing issues in our city."

According to Plante, Poilievre's assessment of the housing situation did not take into account the “complexity” of housing needs in her city and her administration's goal to increase the number of housing units for vulnerable populations.

In the interview, she said her administration is already trying to reduce red tape on development permits and cited their internal bylaw 20-20-20, which requires private sector developers to incorporate 20 percent social housing, 20 percent affordable housing, and 20 percent "family housing" in new housing projects.

However, this bylaw, issued in 2021, largely failed; documents released by the opposition on the city council last August showed that no developer built any social housing in the past two years, and the vast majority of developers preferred to pay a fine to the city instead, which is permitted by the internal law.

The opposition at that time said about 24 million dollars went into city coffers as a result of this law, which the mayor said is used to support social housing.

Responding to the release of these figures, the mayor said in an interview with Plante in August that while the city council made affordable housing a priority, the Quebec government did not, "we did not have any new money."

Last October, a survey of real estate developers revealed that stalled construction projects are hindering the delivery of at least 25,000 homes in Quebec, with more than half of these projects planned for the Greater Montreal area.

Participants pointed to factors including tedious permit processes, zoning obstacles, and public resistance to densification projects in residential areas as reasons for the delays.

The Mayor of Montreal said on Friday that she will continue to prioritize affordable housing because that is what the residents want.

She added, "I know Montreal residents want mixing; they want to have a roof over their heads," not just for the wealthy. "My mission is to ensure there is social and economic mixing."

Poilievre’s Strategy

David Hurteau, a former member of the Quebec Liberal Party and political analyst, said Poilievre is trying to bring to the table issues he feels are his strengths, which is a "very smart" strategy.

He added: "By attacking these two mayors, what is he doing? He is connecting with Quebec residents about what he has put at the top of federal polls, and he is talking about budget issues."

"Right now, there are many voters — and this has always been key to the rise of the right — who listen to people they feel are not being heard."

The latest poll conducted by Nanos in December showed Conservative support has increased, but in Quebec, projections show they will only keep their current ten seats. Hurteau said increased support could translate into more seats.