Ousted in the election, Richard Bergeron seeks a job with the party he founded

Richard Bergeronsays he's happy he didn't get elected. In fact,watching the results roll in on Sunday, as he tells it, he felt an overwhelming surge of pride.

Projet Montral, the party he founded in 2004, had finally taken power at city hall.

Now, unemployed after losing his seat on city council, Bergeronmakes no secret of the fact that he wants a job with Valrie Plante'sadministration even if, three days before the election, he warned that Projet Montralwas "radical" and "far left."

"Of course I would like that," Bergeron said in an interview Thursday, when asked if he wants to work withPlante.

His criticism of his old party, he said, was part of the "political game."

"We do what we have to do in the moment," he said. "They have to understand that two-and-a-half minutesof criticism is not a whole life."

Valrie Plante on Richard Bergeron's desire to work with her

7 years ago

Duration 0:43

Valrie Plante was asked about whether she'd work with Richard Bergeron, after he failed to get re-elected as part of quipe Coderre. Bergeron founded Projet Montral, but left to work with Coderre.

Bergeronofficially became part ofCoderre'steam last year.Hehad been sitting as an independent since 2014, when he joinedCoderre'sexecutive committee after losing the last election.

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He ran for mayor as leader of Projet Montralthree times in2005, 2009 and2013 and finished third each time.

Bergeronacknowledges the partywould never have been able to take power under his leadership.

In his view, two things were necessary for Projet Montral to win: his departure, and Plante'sarrival, with "her smile, with her head and her energy."

Shifting allegiances

After Sunday'selection, Bergeronremoved any mention of quipeDenisCoderrefrom hisTwitter bio, replacingit with "founder ofProjetMontral, author and urban planner."

Bergeron'sshifting allegiancehasn't sat well with former colleagues. Russell Copeman, a Coderre ally who was ousted as mayor of Cte-des-NeigesNotre-Dame-de-Grce, took to Twitter Thursday to express his displeasure.

Plante, for her part, has demonstrated little interest in bringing Bergeronon board, but hasn't entirely ruled it out. When asked about his efforts to land a job so soon after criticizing his old party,she replied, with a laugh,"That's his style.He's flexible."

At 62, Bergeronsaidhe still needs a job somewhere, whether it's "selling carpets" or helping the new administration. He still shares Projet's vision for improved mobility with a focus on public transit, he said.

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But he wasn't ready to slam the outgoing administration for its bookkeeping.Plantetold reporters Thursdaytheyfound a $358-million shortfall in the city budget.

Bergerondismissed the report as nothing more than an oldpolitical trick, practiced at all levels of government.

"The team going out says the house is clean. The team that arrives always says it's not. Three months later, they say it's fixed," he said. "It's politics 101."