On his first day, Péladeau focuses on the economy
It was a tad workmanlike, but it got the job done.
Pierre Karl Péladeau stuck to a safe script for his debut as official Opposition leader in the National Assembly on Tuesday. At the very least, he avoided tripping up on his first day on the job.
And to some surprise, his first question to Premier Philippe Couillard was not about sovereignty or federalism. Instead, he chose to focus on the economy and the series of job losses and plant closings that have rocked the Quebec economy.
Rising for the first time as leader and more or less reading a prepared question from his sheet, the newly elected Parti Québécois leader extended a hand to the government by saying he wanted to work with it to organize a summit on full employment this fall.
“I reiterate my invitation to the premier,” Péladeau said. “Will you accept my hand?”
It was unclear whether Couillard expected such a question — he kicked off the day saying Péladeau and the PQ are living in a parallel universe for all their talk of sovereignty — but the premier didn't miss a beat.
He argued the Liberal government already has an economic plan and the proof was there that very morning with the announcement of a $245-million investment by Medicago creating 200 jobs in the Quebec City region.
And over the 12 months the Liberals have been in power, 68,000 new jobs have been created, he said
“Yes, there are challenges, but Quebec is on the right path,” Couillard said.
And in an indirect jab at Péladeau, who asked what the government is doing to keep industrial gems and head offices here, he added: “To attract and keep head offices in Quebec, there is one ingredient which is absolutely essential: economic, political and financial stability.”
And so went Péladeau's first day in the big chair.
He arrived for questions right on time, taking his seat directly in front of the premier's bench, who rapidly crossed the floor to shake his hand.
Behind Péladeau, the two candidates he defeated in the PQ leadership, Alexandre Cloutier and Martine Ouellet, stared into his back.
Péladeau himself recognized he has things to learn about the job, signalling Tuesday he will go slow on changes now that he is leader.
He will keep Chicoutimi MNA Stéphane Bédard, who acted as interim leader after Pauline Marois resigned, as his house leader. He will need Bédard's parliamentary savvy to handle the pressure cooker job in the legislature.
“As you know, my experience in politics is quite recent,” Péladeau told reporters. “The first time I came in the house I was nervous and I'm still nervous. I think it's a good thing to be nervous.”
And he got a bit of good news in the form of a new Léger poll done for Le Devoir and the Journal de Montréal that suggests the PQ under his leadership has increased its support.
The PQ would have obtained about 34 per cent of votes if an election had taken place last weekend.
The results are 6 percentage points higher than during the last poll compiled by Léger on April 11. Liberal support was pegged at 32 per cent, a five-point decrease since April. The Coalition Avenir Québec holds 20 per cent of votes while Québec Solidaire has 10 per cent, according to the poll.
But the controversy surrounding Péladeau's other life, as the owner of the Québecor media giant, was not far off the horizon.
Among the first questions from reporters was whether he had been consulted or had anything to say about Québecor's decision Tuesday to sell its Archambault retail outlet to Renaud-Bray.
He said he did not, first hearing about the deal in the media like everyone else.
He repeated what he said Friday, that he has instructed his lawyers to start the process toward placing his Québecor assets in a blind trust — a promise he made in his campaign — but noted he needs approval of federal regulators to make it happen, so he's waiting.
The Liberals were still skeptical about the appearance of conflicts of interest.
“The parallel I make is what would you say if I was here as the controlling shareholder of Gesca (the other big Quebec media outlet)," Couillard said, emerging from an earlier caucus. “Would you consider this situation is harmonious for democracy?”
Municipal Affairs Minister Pierre Moreau went further, unleashing a blistering attack on Péladeau. Even the blind trust option the PQ leader proposes is not sufficient, Moreau argued in an encounter with reporters.
“The only way is for Mr. Péladeau to sell off his assets,” Moreau said, alleging bluntly he believes there is bias in some Québecor products.
“There are days where we look at the media coverage, and we say, 'Was there or not influence?' I could give you examples. I could give you a little list.”
But CAQ leader François Legault had some thoughts about Péladeau's increase in the polls.
“Honeymoons don't last,” Legault told reporters. “At some point you have to get back to what you propose. We have to come back down to the real world.”