A PQ government will be sensitive to anglophones’ needs, leader says

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VICTORIAVILLE — Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says if the party is elected in 2026, he will fix what’s wrong with Quebec — including the health-care system — by giving citizens the “normal government” they have been deprived of for six years so far under the Coalition Avenir Québec.

And he says unlike some governments, the PQ will be particularly sensitive to the needs of Quebec’s English-speaking population.

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In a speech to 500 party members Sunday at the end of a national council meeting in Victoriaville, St-Pierre Plamondon ripped into the CAQ. He said the one thing it has been good at over its two terms in office has been mastering communications and floating trial balloons, instead of creating real public policies that help citizens.

As for the CAQ’s “neither federalist nor sovereignist” constitutional philosophy, St-Pierre Plamondon said that means it is a party that basically stands for “nothingness.” The result is Quebec not moving forward in any way.

Quebecers are entitled to ask themselves whether they are better off than they were when the CAQ took power in 2018, whether their groceries cost less and whether it’s easier to find housing and medical care, he said.

“I think we have given enough chances to the CAQ,” St-Pierre Plamondon said. “I think we have given enough chances to (Premier) François Legault. We urgently need a government that does not spend most of its time and energy protecting its image.

“We urgently need a government interested in deeper issues, that is interested in the quality of the public policies it puts forward. What I am saying is Quebecers want and deserve a normal government. It’s time to repair what has been broken, and only the PQ is able to do this work.”

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But St-Pierre Plamondon also had a warning to his troops: The closer the PQ comes to power and the independence referendum it wants to hold, the worse the attacks will get from opponents.

“The federalists will seek to sow fear,” he said. “They are agents of a regime. This regime has been in place for more than 150 years and they will do everything to maintain their individual gains and the status quo of this regime.

“While we dare tell truths that sometimes disturb, they will try to tag us with all possible labels. We have to prepare ourselves. I have a message for them: We will continue to be the party that tells the truth because we have Quebec’s interests at heart.”

The comment drew loud applause, with delegates rising to wave Quebec flags and cheer.

St-Pierre Plamondon also briefly attacked the other two oppositions parties, saying Quebec’s Liberals are increasingly detached from Quebec’s francophones and busy transforming their party into a branch plant of the federal Liberals.

As for Québec solidaire, it is mired in the kind of “idealogical dogmatism” Quebecers shun.

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But a council focused on creating a health-care policy for the next election campaign, St-Pierre Plamondon painted a dim picture of the way things are. While the CAQ government has spent its time fiddling with institutional structures, he said, the health of the average Quebecer has declined.

Studies show Quebecers are increasingly sedentary, obese and rapidly becoming heavy consumers of medication, he said.

“There are red lights all over,” St-Pierre Plamondon said. “It’s impossible to imagine we will continue with this health-care model. This system is at the end of its rope. If elected, the PQ will launch a big shift and it will be focused on health.”

One structure the PQ might aim to abolish is Santé Québec, the agency the CAQ has established to oversee the health system, which is set to lift off Dec. 1.

At a news conference earlier Sunday, St-Pierre Plamondon said he fears the agency is already becoming a kind of shield for the government to use to disguise budget cuts and shelter itself from criticism on the way the system works.

Asked if a PQ government would consider abolishing the agency, St-Pierre Plamondon said: “Everything is on the table.”

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His comments reflected the theme of the day — Quebec has spent enough time reforming institutional structures. PQ members heard from a panel of experts on what needs to be done beyond structural reforms to improve the health of Quebecers.

Later Sunday, delegates adopted a series of motions. One on the health agenda directed the party to revise the tax advantages general practitioners and medical specialists have in Quebec, including the right to incorporate themselves and, thus, pay less tax.

Another stated the party, in all future elections, will screen candidates to ensure they are pro-choice and are in favour of a woman’s right to abortion.

There was another motion from the floor that called on PQ MNAs in the legislature to speak only French when answering questions from English media — something St-Pierre Plamondon said he doesn’t agree with.

“(Using English is) recognition that institutions that serve English-speaking Quebecers are very important,” he said at his morning news conference. “For me, it’s not an issue. One question that is important and fundamental for English-speaking Quebecers regarding the independence of Quebec is: ‘What will our status be, and will there be any changes to our daily life?’

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“The answer to that is we’ll not only make sure everything that works right now continues, but we’re going to be very sensitive to the status of our minority.

“Obviously, the PQ will continue to collaborate and respect institutions of English-speaking Quebecers.”

The PQ has four MNAs in the legislature, and they all answer questions from English media in English on a daily basis. Politicians in other parties, including Legault, do the same

Recalling PQ founder René Lévesque himself always responded in English to questions from English media (as did all of his successors), St-Pierre Plamondon said he did not agree with the motion.

“Nobody is ever going to prevent me from answering questions in English,” St-Pierre Plamondon, a McGill graduate, told reporters in flawless English. “René Lévesque did that, the PQ has always done that but, most importantly, we need to behave the way we visualize Quebec as a country.

“Of course, I’ll be answering questions in English to media who need that answer in English for their TV, radio and written reports.”

By late Sunday, the motion had been withdrawn and was never actually debated.

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The council was also marked by the return of PQ executive committee member Vincent Boulay, who was suspended last week from the party’s policy commission and from all elected roles for a period of two years for a breach of the PQ’s code of ethics and communications policy.

He was accused of sharing confidential information with the media. He vigorously disputes the accusations.

Boulay repeated to the media he feels the punishment was too harsh.

“It’s like shooting a fly with a bazooka,” he said.

But the mood in the party was upbeat as it continues to dominate public-opinion polls, mostly at the expense of the CAQ.

Last week, a Léger poll conducted for Québecor found the CAQ at 21 per cent, a drop of three points since October, while support for the PQ reached 35 per cent, a jump of three points.

With 21-per-cent support, the CAQ is where it was back in 2016, two years before it took power.

The challenge for St-Pierre Plamondon will be to maintain the PQ’s level of support for the two remaining years before the election. One strategy the party will use is to show Quebecers beyond promising a referendum on independence, the PQ will be ready to govern.

Besides the health issue, St-Pierre Plamondon has also moved to shore up the PQ’s plans for the economy. Appearing at a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, St-Pierre Plamondon said a PQ government would ditch the CAQ’s strategy of investing in large multinationals and instead focus on helping small- and medium-size businesses.

Those companies would get a greater share of Quebec’s precious hydro resources to help them steer away from fossil fuels.

He again quoted a study on the finances of an independent Quebec, telling his audience Quebec would have an additional $82 billion in hand once it cuts service duplications with the federal government and stops sending half of its tax revenues to Ottawa.

pauthier@postmedia.com

x.com/philipauthier

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