No time to ‘play politics’ when farmers are at stake: Legault
CAQ vows to provide high-speed internet, cellular service to entire province
Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Jonquière, Trois-Rivières and finally Montreal — Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault has had a busy day, and a busy week.
He’s taking a break Saturday, when he’ll relax and watch television, he said Friday.
Friday morning, his party reannounced their commitment to providing high-speed internet and cellular service to the whole province. The plan would cost Quebecers $400 million over four years.
Legault said that at the moment there are 240,000 households in the province without quality internet access and that cellular service remains unreliable in several regions.
If elected, the CAQ would build on a federal program that subsidizes companies that build infrastructure to connect remote areas to the grid.
Legault said that the rates would be affordable even in far-away villages.
He said that lack of quality cellular and internet services has slowed economic development in certain areas.
He made the announcement on the banks of the Saguenay River in Chicoutimi, while his political adversaries assembled in Longueuil to reiterate their support for supply management in the shadow of a looming NAFTA deal that failed to materialize Friday.
In lieu of shipping to Longueuil from Chicoutimi early Friday morning, a four-hour drive, Legault met with dairy farmers in his hotel, and spoke to Marcel Groleau, president of the Union des producteurs agricoles, over the phone.
His absence didn’t go unnoticed. The Liberal party and the Parti Québecois took shots at Legault, accusing him of not standing with farmers.
But Legault, who holds a narrow lead over Philippe Couillard and the Liberal party in the latest polls, said he believes his message is just as powerful as the other leaders.
“I think it’s important to show that we are talking. This morning, I was with the president of all milk producers in (Saguenay–Lac-StJean). That was a real communication,” Legault said.
“We explained our position, so I think it’s important. It’s important to meet with the real milk producers.”
“I was scheduled to be here and, out of respect for the people of Saguenay–LacSt-Jean, I am here.”
Originally, Couillard had said he wasn’t interested in signing a joint agreement with other party leaders defending supply management in Quebec, and refused to appear on camera with them. The Liberal leader rescinded his promise late Thursday night, however, announcing that he would attend the conference in Longueuil.
“I don’t want to attack anyone,” Legault said. “It’s not a day to attack anyone. It’s a day to ensure that there’s a clear message sent to Justin Trudeau.”
“It was decided last night at 9 p.m. that Mr. Couillard would be in attendance. It’s not the time to play politics.”
He repeated his tough line to Ottawa: Justin Trudeau should not sacrifice vital supply management laws that sustain Quebec dairy farmers at the NAFTA negotiating table.
On from Chicoutimi, he stopped in Jonquière, where he entertained schoolchildren at a community centre.
There, he commented on threatening posters of CAQ candidate and former SPVM spokesperson Ian Lafrenière posted at the CEGEP de St-Jerôme.
The posters depict Lafrenière with a bullet in his head. Legault said Lafrenière may need extra security and police were investigating the case.
“It’s exceptional that a candidate says, ‘I’ve already been the subject of threats, and I’m worried about other threats,’ ” Legault said. “He was already threatened. I assured him that we would protect him.”
For his part, Lafrenière said he didn’t want to be distracted by the threats. He said he would rather focus on the campaign.
Legault finished the evening in Montreal, where he will rest, nine days into the campaign. What will he do on his day off ? “I’ll watch TV. I’ll spend some time with my two sons, with my wife. I’ll get up late. I’ll try to relax,” he said.
“We have three debates coming up, one in English so maybe I’ll watch TV in English tomorrow to practise.”
I don’t want to attack anyone. It’s not a day to attack anyone. It’s a day to ensure that there’s a clear message sent to Justin Trudeau.