QUEBEC CITY -- On Sept. 14, the new parliamentary session in Quebec City will begin.
It is shaping up to be a busy one for the Legault government, as it begins to run out of time to follow through on its commitments in this pre-election year. Especially since there is no shortage of projects.
Against the backdrop of managing the COVID-19 pandemic's fourth wave, the challenge for elected officials will be to continue their work in spite of everything, while observing the strict sanitary measures in effect at the National Assembly, which limit their presence on site.
Legault was very proud on Wednesday morning to chair a three-day caucus for the first time since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, with all MNAs in the same room.
"Finally! Teams and then Zoom and everything you want are nice, but it's not the same," he said to the gathered MNAs at the outset of the occasion in a very large room of the Quebec City convention centre, to account for social distancing guidelines.
Legault did not address the media.
Of the 74 elected CAQ members, three were absent: Minister for the Elderly Marguerite Blais and the MNA for Rivière-du-Loup, Denis Tardif, both for health reasons, as well as Justice Ministe Simon Jolin-Barrette, who is also the government House leader.
Jolin-Barrette was at his wife's bedside who just gave birth.
It is not known if he will interrupt his paternity leave to be present in the Salon Bleu to launch the new session next Tuesday.
The caucus will allow the CAQ to fine-tune their strategy for the coming months in order to increase their chances of passing bills without too many opposition obstacles.
As the next election approaches, Legault said last week that he expects a more partisan tone from the opposition. He will also have to deal with two new parliamentary leaders: Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, for Québec Solidaire, and Joël Arseneau, for the Parti Québécois, who will surely try to score points and shake the government.
"It's going to be a busy session," said the government leader in front of his deputies on Wednesday morning, adding that he promises not to let the pandemic prevent him from "delivering the goods."
Among the hot issues for the fall are the upcoming Bill 101 reform consultations with the study of Bill 96 starting Sept. 21.
Also, there is the bill accompanied and action plan to complete the child care network, the settlement of collective agreements for public and para-public sector employees, and daycare workers, family law reform, the review of the physician remuneration system, the establishment of specialized courts for victims of sexual assault and the bill on elder abuse, among others.
The expected increase in hospitalizations related to the pandemic will bring to the forefront the issue of offloading surgeries, as well as the recurring problem of labour shortages in the health care system, particularly with respect to nurses.
The problem of employee shortages is affecting many sectors of activity and could undermine the economic recovery orchestrated by Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon.
In the education and higher education sector, the quality of air in schools and the guidelines for academic freedom will be among the issues that will receive attention.
The opposition parties have already announced their intention to regularly confront the government on environmental issues and the fight against climate change, which they say is a neglected objective.
Another sticking point will undoubtedly be the extension of the health emergency decree, which has been in effect since March 2020, and which the opposition parties feel has given the government too much power for too long.
"We will continue to listen to the population," the premier said, expressing his determination to earn the trust of the voters.
Before long, the premier will also have to consider whether he is prepared to go to the polls next year with the current team or risk a reshuffle to bring in new blood and get rid of underperforming ministers, who will be the delight of the opposition if they stay in place.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 8, 2021.
