Immigration under Liberals ‘a failure’: Legault
CAQ leader urges Couillard to censure Liberal who compared him to Trump
Coalition Avenir Québec Leader François Legault lashed out against the Liberal government Monday for encouraging immigration, saying it has not helped solve economic problems like a shortage of high-paying jobs in many regions.
“Let’s look at the results. Immigration under the Liberal government is a failure,” said Legault, who wants to cut immigration levels from 50,000 to 40,000 per year and refuse status to immigrants who fail to learn French within three years.
He noted that 26 per cent of immigrants to Quebec do not stay in the province.
“We have a 15 per cent unemployment rate among immigrants after five years. So it hasn’t worked to solve economic problems,” he said during a campaign stop in Sherbrooke.
“We’ve seen that we have surpassed our capacity to integrate,” Legault said.
“Mr. Couillard thinks that the priority is just to bring in more immigrants and to have 15 per cent unemployment, and to have 26 per cent of immigrants leaving Quebec. He’s running after the wrong target,” he said.
Earlier, at a campaign stop in Brome—Missisquoi, Legault promised an additional $1,200 per child yearly for families with more than one child.
He also called on Couillard to censure his candidate in St-Laurent, Marwah Rizqy, who accused Legault of sexism Sunday, comparing him to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Rizqy said Legault showed a feminist facade, but has treated female politicians shabbily, in particular by leaking text messages the CAQ exchanged with Liberal candidate Gertrude Bourdon, who spurned Legault’s party in favour of the Liberals.
“I will not let myself be distracted,” Legault responded to Rizqy’s comments, saying they just show the Liberals are in panic mode.
He also said that while he finds being compared to Trump somewhat insulting, Trump’s election sent an important message for Western societies that Premier Philippe Couillard is ignoring.
“There are people who are asking questions, who want to protect our values, and it would be a mistake to do like Philippe Couillard and act as if it did not exist,” he said.
Parti Québécois Leader JeanFrançois Lisée called Rizqy ’s comments “heinous.”
“Donald Trump is someone who has been accused of sexual assault by 19 women in the United States,” he said.
Couillard said it was not up to him to censor candidates’ comments and that “in my caucus, women are free to express themselves as they will, in any way, and they are free to participate in debates.”
FAMILY ALLOWANCE
The CAQ’s proposed family allowance would replace Quebec’s refundable tax credit for families. Maximum payments for a second or third child would double from $1,214 a year to $2,430, while parents of four or more children would receive $2,430, up from $1,821.
Legault said the measure is not primarily intended to boost the birthrate among native-born Quebecers, but if it does help reinforce Quebec’s identity, so much the better.
“The main purpose of the measure is to help families. Now, if at the same time, it results in having more children in Quebec, that will effectively be good for protecting our identity — but the main goal is to help families,” Legault said.
“We’re going to put $760 million (a year) in families’ pockets.”
In Sherbrooke, Legault posed for the cameras in the small home of Maryse Caron and Jason Ménard and their three children, ages 11, 8 and 11/2, sitting down at their kitchen table to explain the family allowance.
“Every child brings new difficulties,” said Ménard, saying the couple want to have a fourth but have been hesitating because of the cost.
Legault said there is a “very real possibility” that all of the ridings in the Eastern Townships region will swing to the CAQ.
The picturesque region east of Montreal has long been fertile ground for the Liberals, but the departure of longtime Liberal MNA Pierre Paradis in BromeMissisquoi, Karine Vallières in Richmond and Pierre Reid in Orford suggest some seats could be up for grabs.
Paradis, 68, is ending a nearly four-decade political career on a sour note after investigations into allegations of sexual harassment and misuse of his housing allowance, neither of which resulted in sanctions.