‘Just watch me.’ Couillard vows to protect dairy farmers
MONTMAGNY Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard conjured the memory of a combative Pierre Trudeau, pledged hefty pay raises for new teachers, and assured Bombardier workers their jobs were safe on a busy Wednesday on the campaign trail, on the south shore of the St-Lawrence River northeast of Quebec City.
“Just watch me,” Couillard said in Rivière-du-Loup Wednesday morning when asked what he would do if Canada decides to allow concessions on supply-management policies for dairy farmers in trade negotiations with the United States.
He was evoking the words of former Liberal prime minister Trudeau to a journalist during the 1970 October Crisis. Three days later, Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act to quell dissidents in the province.
Couillard confirmed later he would be taking part in a conference call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada’s other premiers Thursday afternoon to discuss the NAFTA trade talks.
Couillard also said he would sign a joint letter with the leaders of Quebec’s political parties expressing a united front. Previously, Couillard had said he was “not interested” in the idea, because he suspected Coalition Avenir Québec Leader François Legault’s recent interest in supply-management economics was born more of political opportunism than belief.
For his part, Couillard vowed to fight any changes to the end, regardless of Canada’s stance.
“Supply management, in Canada, is Quebec in large part, along with Ontario and the Maritime provinces. We are opposed — not just my party, but the majority of the Quebec population — are opposed to concessions on supply management. If there are some who think they can go around Quebec … there will be serious political consequences.
“Just watch me.”
He did not specify what those consequences might be.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized Canada’s supplymanagement system, which controls the price and volume of products like dairy and poultry, and said it will stand in the way of any new deals. Couillard responded that the U.S. and many other countries offer their farmers subsidies to survive. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told him Quebec’s interests will be respected, Couillard said. Couillard said he wanted the province’s agricultural producers and dairy farmers at the negotiating table.
“It’s (Trudeau’s) negotiation, and the result will be his result, not mine,” Couillard said “I have not received any indication that he was ready to make concessions on supply management.”
Also in Rivière-du-Loup, Couillard pledged to increase the starting salaries of teachers to $53,134 a year, starting in 2021. Couillard said he would compress the first six pay grades teachers normally have to climb. Most teachers in the province already start at the third level of pay, $44,985, under the current collective agreement. Moving all the province’s teachers up to the seventh pay grade starting in the 2021-2022 school year will cost $60 million for the first year, the Liberals estimate.
Couillard stressed it’s essential to improve the reputation of teaching to entice more people to enter the system. Wednesday’s conference was the third in a row Couillard has held in a schoolyard.
“Today, we focus on those who have the crucial responsibility of preparing our infants for the future. We can say they are the sowers of knowledge, the artisans of success, and we want to see that their efforts are fully appreciated.”
Couillard pledged to improve the level of training of students completing their BA in education, create an Institute of Excellence in Education to develop best teaching practices and improve the French and English proficiency exam system prospective teachers must take.
Later, Couillard visited the Bombardier plant in La Pocatière to ensure employees his government would guarantee a $500-million train contract for 17 Azur trains for the Montreal métro, with or without federal assistance.
The new contract, signed with the Société de transport de Montréal in mid-August, will ensure the jobs of at least 150 workers at the plant, which employs 615.
Couillard did not specify how much the government contribution would amount to.
In the evening, Couillard attended a riding office party rally in the town of Montmagny. On Thursday his caravan heads to Lac-Mégantic.