Vision Montreal Crisis, 1997

The Vision Montreal Crisis of 1997 was one of the most severe internal party crises in Montreal politics.

Origins

In January 1997, Mayor Pierre Bourque tried to dismiss two members of Montreal's Executive Committee: Deputy Chairman Sammy Forcillo and Pierre Goyer. Yet, the City Charter of 1921 clearly states that appointments to the Executive Committee are irrevocable. Forcillo and Goyer left Vision Montreal (Bourque's party) to sit as Independents, but exercised their right to stay on the committee. Therefore, management by consensus became nearly impossible to reach for the remainder of Bourque's term. [ [http://www.assnat.qc.ca/archives-35leg2se/fra/Publications/debats/journal/cat/970604.htm#970604012 Commission permanente de l'aménagement du territoire - Auditions et étude détaillée du projet de loi n° 216, Assemblée nationale du Québec, June 4, 1997] ]

That incident as well as allegations of authoritarian tendencies led thirteen other Vision Montreal Councillors to leave the party and sit as Independents with their colleagues of the opposition.

Consequences

By August 1997, only a minority of the councilmembers (24 out of 51) were members of Vision Montreal and the credibility of the Bourque administration was undermined. [ [http://www.erudit.org/revue/ps/2003/v22/n1/006579ar.html La politique municipale à Montréal dans les années 1990 : du « réformisme populaire » au « populisme gestionnaire », Serge Belley, Érudit] ] Most of the defectors were supporters of Jacques Duchesneau's "Nouveau Montréal" party, but others backed Jean Doré's "Équipe Montréal", the "RCM" or even came back to "Vision Montreal" briefly before the next election. The severity of the crisis was such that for a while it appeared to seriously affect Bourque's chances of re-election.

Nonetheless, Bourque was elected in 1998, as was a substantial majority of his candidates.

Defectors

The defectors were:

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Councilmember
District
Status following the 1998 Election

Serge-Éric BélangerSault-au-RécolletRe-elected as a "Vision Montreal" candidate
Philippe BissonnetteSaint-PaulElected as a "Nouveau Montréal" candidate
Daniel BoucherJean-RivardDefeated as an "Independent" candidate
Vittorio CapparelliFrançois-PerraultDefeated as an "RCM" candidate
Jack ChadirdjianDarlingtonDefeated as a "Nouveau Montréal" candidate
Jacques CharbonneauLouis-RielRe-elected as a "Vision Montreal" candidate
Hubert DeraspeLouis-HébertDid not run for re-election
Sammy ForcilloSaint-JacquesElected as an "Équipe Montréal" candidate [Sammy Forcillo briefly supported Jacques Duchesneau for Mayor and then changed his mind and announced that he would back Jean Doré's "Équipe Montréal".]
Pierre GagnierCartiervilleDefeated as a "Nouveau Montréal" candidate
Robert GagnonÉmardDefeated as an "Independent" candidate
Pierre GoyerSaint-ÉdouardDefeated as an "Équipe Montréal" candidate
Robert LaraméePère-MarquetteDefeated as a "Nouveau Montréal" candidate [Robert Laramée ran again as a "Vision Montreal" candidate in 2001 and 2005.]
Marie LebeauPointe-aux-TremblesDefeated as a "Nouveau Montréal" candidate
Martin LemaySainte-MarieDefeated as an "Équipe Montréal" candidate [Martin Lemay ran again as a "Vision Montreal" candidate in 2001 and 2005.]
Nathalie MalépartMaisonneuveDid not run for re-election
Germain PrégentSaint-PierreElected as a "Nouveau Montréal" candidate

Members of the Executive Committee are indicated with bold fonts.

Notes