Election looms as National Assembly recesses
Next stop, the election QUEBEC trail.
As the last sitting of Quebec’s 41st legislature drew to a close Friday in an atmosphere of tearful farewells including that of the speaker, Jacques Chagnon, the big four political parties were girding themselves for the weeks ahead.
And the battle lines in the race to the Oct. 1 vote have never been clearer, with the Liberals warning Quebecers not to risk their livelihoods by voting for the Coalition Avenir Québec and the CAQ saying voters should embrace the change they represent after almost 15 years of Liberal rule.
“Even with renewal you need a degree of continuity,” Premier Philippe Couillard said at an outdoor news conference on the terrasse at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Quebec.
Returning to one of the more recent Liberal themes, Couillard said it would be a mistake to vote CAQ because “economic instability” caused by events south of the border threatens Quebec’s record level growth over the past months.
“This momentum remains fragile,” Couillard said. “Yesterday’s allies today represent a real threat to our companies and workers.”
He avoided any mention of his main rival, CAQ Leader François Legault, who leads in the polls.
Moments later, standing with his caucus in the lobby of the legislature, Legault fired back.
How can voters trust new Liberal promises when they broke most of the ones they made in the 2014 election on everything from education to health?, Legault asked.
Above all he said voters need to remember the “stain” on the Liberals when it comes to integrity and ethics.
“Yes we expect the Liberals to run a fear campaign (against the CAQ),” Legault said. “But we will counter their fear with hope.”
His news conference was overshadowed by the revelation in the Journal de Montréal that CAQ party president Stéphane Le Bouyonnec is also chairman of an Ontario online loan service, Techbanx, which charges astronomical interest rates that would be illegal in Quebec.
Le Bouyonnec, the CAQ candidate in the riding of La Prairie, resigned from the post in a hurry Thursday and said he was selling his shares.
“I said it was an error,” Legault said. “I don’t think it’s an error that merits being fired as a candidate.”
And so it went. Neither of the leaders bothered mentioning the Parti Québécois, which ends the session in the dungeon of public opinion, or Québec solidaire.
PQ Leader Jean-François Lisée appeared unfazed.
“We must not change,” Lisée said. “We must stay real and authentic.”
“Quebec solidaire has chosen perseverance,” said QS MNA Manon Massé, lowballing her party’s challenges.
Couillard and Legault had other fish, or burgers, to fry and they both immediately sped off to party campaign picnics in the Quebec City area. The likely election launch is Aug. 29.
But the real main event Friday was the departure of so many MNAs as the life of the legislature winds down.
With a total of 29 MNAs — 18 Liberal, five PQ, one CAQ, one QS and four independents — opting to not run again, Friday was a day of tearful farewells. The list starts at the top with Chagnon, also the MNA for Westmount-Saint-Louis, who announced his retirement from the throne.
“When bridges, autoroutes and airports are being named after people you knew personally and respected, it’s probably time to
move on,” Chagnon said, sparking laughter and applause.
Many other familiar faces walked out the door for the last time, including the dean of the legislature, PQ MNA François Gendron, who was first elected in 1976 as a member of René Lévesque’s government.
Gendron left them a message: Despite political allegiances they are not so different, he said.
Off went Amir Khadir, the outspoken MNA for the riding of Mercier, who sat in the house for 10 years, including a long stretch when he was the only Québec solidaire representative.
The dean of the anglophone politicians, Geoff Kelley, minister of native affairs and MNA for Jacques-Cartier, called it quits, earning a standing ovation when he tabled his last motion in the legislature.
“I want to tell you and all Quebecers how strong a voice you’ve
been for English-speaking Quebecers,” Couillard said in a closing speech looking over at Kelley.
But for many of those who want to stay, the future is uncertain, especially in the face of fickle voters who are desperate for a change of faces.
Despite an avalanche of Liberal promises and announcements designed to shore up their support — the CAQ estimates they total $38 billion — the CAQ still dominates the polls.
Before leaving, the legislature pushed through several key pieces of legislation, including Bill 157 establishing a framework for the use of cannabis, Bill 170 modernizing the province’s alcohol laws, and Bill 128 setting rules for the control of dangerous dogs.
And in one last gesture, the house passed Bill 187 protecting the confidentiality of journalistic sources. It then adjourned.