Legault reveals his inner authoritarian
There is a feeling that Quebec Premier François Legault, having come to power only shortly before the pandemic, has not revealed much of himself in the political arena.
He rode the wave of a prolonged honeymoon, owing to the fact that the CAQ broke a decades-long deadlock between the provincial Liberals and the Parti Québécois. He then dove straight into COVID-19 crisis management mode, proving himself to be an able communicator and efficient manager.
The opposition was disorganized and had little to latch onto. Now the mask is slipping off.
Last week, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, a young MNA from the leftist Québec solidaire, stood up in the nationaly assembly and ripped into Legault for telling Quebecers how to vote, accusing him of harnessing his inner Maurice Duplessis — Québec’s notoriously authoritarian premier from the 1950s. Duplessis ruled the province like an old-fashioned boss and remains much-loathed.
The exchange left Legault shaking with anger and accusing Nadeau-Dubois of being nothing but “a woke” who won’t defend Quebec.
More surprising perhaps was that Legault actually had some nice things to say about Duplessis, a rigid Catholic traditionalist, who was against labour rights, feminism and even casual clothing.
“Duplessis had his faults,” he railed, pointing a finger at Nadeau-Dubois, “but he always stood up for the Quebec nation!”
Never mind that the concept of Quebec as a nation didn’t exist back then, having only been officialized by prime minister Stephen Harper in 2006 (that’s another discussion). It underlines the fact that Legault hasn’t been challenged much since coming to power. And it makes clear that he doesn’t like it.
People are palpably tired of identity drama in Quebec. But chances are that even after the Liberal win on Monday, we won’t get less of it under Legault. As the fallout from the English-language debate proved, he is good at drama.
He went next level with indignation, demanding a formal apology from the broadcasters and claiming that the province faces an existential threat from Ottawa and English Canada.
The Toronto-based anglo-Canadian elite, they said, once again proved how hostile they are to Quebec’s culture, autonomy and democratic process. Always good for the nationalist base.
The debate was a gift to the Bloc, who performed well in the election, gaining two seats. And Legault started insisting that the Liberals, NDP and Greens are dangerous for Quebec.
Strange coming from someone who has gladly posed for the cameras with Justin Trudeau to announce an avalanche of new money from Ottawa without conditions, including $6 billion for daycare, $1.5 billion for housing and $413 million for high-speed internet throughout the province.
His vocal endorsement of Erin O’Toolewas a new twist in federal politics, considering the Conservatives share next to none of Quebec’s values or priorities — in the environment, gun control or culture.
Tuesday, he doubled down, saying he didn’t regret intervening in the election. He was pleased that a majority of Quebecers had voted “blue” — Bloc and Conservatives.
If, as some claim, all this was just electioneering on Legault’s behalf, I fear the fallout.
Legault is a former PQ minister and could be described as a conservative soft nationalist. But he is probably, in private, still a separatist — and, as such, never shies away from picking a fight with Ottawa and eroding trust between levels of government. His reign has also been marked by gratuitous use of the notwithstanding clause to ram through laws without debate, like Bills 21 and 96.
Legault is quick to accuse Ottawa of meddling in Quebec’s politics and areas of jurisdiction, but here we have the opposite. An aggressive foray by a premier into the realm of federal politics, in the hopes of securing a specific outcome.
If, as he claims, Trudeau is bad for the province, what would relations be like with a prime minister less interested in pandering, or being seen to pander, to Quebec? Probably something Legault would be fine with: weakened national unity.