QUEBEC – Quebec Future Coalition (CAQ) leader François Legault blasted his two main rivals in his end-of-session comments Friday, taking particular aim at new Liberal leader Philippe Couillard, who he described as, “the invisible man.”
Legault said that he was mystified by Couillard's strong support in recent polls and said that the new Liberal chief doesn’t deserve the honeymoon Quebec voters are giving him.
Legault quipped that while former Liberal premier Jean Charest had been driving with both hands, Couillard, “has fallen asleep at the wheel.”
Legault blasted Couillard for being silent on major issues such as the battle against corruption while talking at length about such trivial subjects as the possible return of former MNA Nathalie Normandeau and the importance of avoiding holding elections on religious holidays.
Legault’s irritation likely stems from the fact that his CAQ has been trailing Couillard’s Liberals in recent polls.
And the CAQ leader confessed that his party has been facing a “wall of indifference,” because the public has been turned off by corruption in the political elites.
Legault admitted that the current political atmosphere has made many voters unreceptive to the CAQ vision, as controversies and trivialities have taken the spotlight from larger issues, such as the economy and innovation.
Some high-profile CAQ initiatives, such as the demand to confiscate financial compensation from construction companies that have confessed to corruption, have done little to attract new support to his party.
Legault also took swipes at Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois as well.
“She promised to abolish the health care tax, she didn’t and now she’s increasing school taxes by 20 to 30 percent,” said Legault of Marois. “They are like the Liberal party, their only solution to all problems is increasing taxes.”
The Parti Quebecois also held an end-of-session event as Premier Pauline Marois stood in front of her MNAs at a press conference Friday.
Marois said that her government’s only error was to introduce too many important projects at once, a problem due to the over-enthusiasm of her team.
Marois said that she is not planning any cabinet shuffle in the near future.
-With a file from The Canadian Press
