There has never been much love lost between Quebec Premier François Legault and Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante during the seven years they have overlapped in office.

They have vastly different priorities, agendas and styles as political leaders. So the rapport between the province and its largest city has frozen and thawed many times over the course of the two terms each has served.

As Plante counts down her days at city hall after announcing she won’t run again, and Legault’s popularity plummets even while he mulls seeking a third mandate, things have become frostier. Their sparring has become more barbed over issues like funding for public transit, Quebec’s inadequate response to homelessness, the ineffectiveness of policy on short-term rentals, the city’s promotion of French, and a pause on the construction of new schools.

But relations hit a new low this week when the Legault government announced surprise plans to cut Montreal down to size on the regional governance council.

The city has long held a majority in the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), made up of 82 municipalities, with 14 council seats out of 28, and the mayor getting a tie-breaking vote. Now Montreal’s seat count will be slashed to 12 out of 26. The mayor would still chair the council, but would lose the deciding vote. It’s a slap in the face to Plante and to the city.

Plante said she was........

© Montreal Gazette