5 things to watch for with a new CAQ government led by Francois Legault
The Coalition Avenir Québec, led by François Legault, won a second consecutive majority mandate in Monday's election.
Here are five things to watch out for as the CAQ leader prepares to name his new cabinet and begins to make good on his party's election promises.
TAXES/COST OF LIVING
The Coalition Avenir Quebec has promised to distribute up to $600 to Quebecers in December to help with the cost of living.
Adults making less than $50,000 are to receive a one-time payment of $600, and people with annual incomes between $50,000 and $100,000 will receive $400. Legault has also promised to cut income taxes by a total of 2.5 per cent over the next decade, with a first cut aimed at the two lowest tax brackets in 2023. Legault says one his government's first priorities is to adopt a law capping government-controlled fees, such as driver's licences.
ENVIRONMENT
The CAQ has committed to cutting greenhouse gases by 37.5 per cent, compared with 1990 levels, by 2030, and it is aiming for the province to have net-zero emissions by 2050.
Coalition Avenir Quebec Leader Francois Legault walks on the stage with his wife Isabelle Brais to speak to supporters after his victory Monday, October 3, 2022 in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS / Jacques Boissinot
Legault says the only way to reach those goals is to build more hydroelectric dams, and he says he will order the province's hydro utility to analyze which rivers can be dammed.
The province, however, missed its previous emissions-reduction goal, and experts have said Quebec won't achieve its current targets without a more aggressive approach.
HEALTH CARE
Legault has backed away from his 2018 promise to give each Quebecer access to a family doctor. Instead, he has committed to building a digital health platform to direct people to a health-care professional, such as a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
The CAQ has also promised to invest $400 million to recruit 660 doctors and 5,000 health professionals, and the party has said it will open two private medical centres by 2025 in Montreal and Quebec City that would offer health services subsidized by the public insurance system.
Legault has also said Christian Dube will remain as health minister in the next cabinet.
IMMIGRATION
The CAQ has promised to maintain immigration levels at roughly 50,000 newcomers a year and has said that the province doesn't have the capacity to properly integrate more people and teach them French. Legault has said he will create incentives for immigrants to move to Quebec City and to regions outside the Montreal area.
Immigration was the topic that tripped up the CAQ the most during the election campaign, and Legault's opponents have accused him of stoking fears of immigrants and dividing Quebecers on the issue.
Legault had to walk back comments tying immigration with "violence" and "extremism," and his campaign suffered a blow after incumbent Immigration Minister Jean Boulet said 80 per cent of immigrants to Quebec "don't vote" and "don't speak French."
PARITY
On Monday night, Legault lauded the record number of women from all parties elected to the legislature -- in total, 58 of the province's 125 seats were won by women. The CAQ elected 41 women to its caucus, and among them is Kateri Champagne Jourdain, the first Indigenous woman to win a seat in the legislature; she won the riding of Duplessis, located in the Cote-Nord region.
In 2018, Legault fulfilled a promise to form a gender-balanced cabinet, giving portfolios to 13 men and 13 women. That parity was short-lived, however, because just after three months, MarieChantal Chasse resigned as environment minister and was replaced by Benoit Charette. Legault has not committed to having gender parity in his new cabinet.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to remove pro-Palestinian encampment from campus
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.