Quebec Liberal youth wing wants Bill 96's CEGEP requirement to be optional

"Real issues, real solutions" will be the new slogan of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) for the Oct. 3 elections.

The slogan was announced Saturday by party leader Dominique Anglade during her opening speech at the 40th PLQ youth wing convention.

"Real issues, real solutions" will be the new slogan of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) for the Oct. 3 elections.

The slogan was announced Saturday by party leader Dominique Anglade during her opening speech at the 40th PLQ youth wing convention.

The wing took the opportunity to pass a series a resolutions, including one calling on the party to "reconsider the obligation imposed in Bill 96 for non-French speaking students in English CEGEPs to take three courses in French."

They also want the expansion of Dawson College in Montreal to be put back on track.

FOCUS ON HOUSING, HEALTH CARE 

Anglade focused on issues related to the cost of living.

"During the last four years, there are many things that have changed, inflation has gone from two to eight per cent, house prices have increased by 20 perc cent, [and] the grocery bill has increased by 10 per cent," she said.

The Liberal platform, released in June, proposes, among other things, lowering taxes for the middle class, eliminating the welcome tax for first-time homebuyers and converting all non-subsidized daycares to subsidized daycares so that everyone has access to $8.70 a day spaces.

The Liberals are also promising to create 50,000 social housing units over 10 years, more than the 11,700 promised by Legault. On Friday, however, Legault said the Liberal government that preceded him had left him with a shortfall of 15,000 social housing units. When asked about this, Anglade replied, "it's been four years since François Legault has been leading the government."

Anglade also pointed to the exhaistion of the health care system, which has been undermined by years of the pandemic.

"Our health care system has never been worse," she said, as the waiting list for a family doctor approaches one million.

Her remarks were mostly directed at François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), which is leading in the polls.

"The CAQ likes to shovel clouds, sow division, invent crises, polarize minds, govern alone and, above all, not be accountable," she said.

The Liberal leader said that her government "will defend the rights and freedoms of all Quebecers" and that "diversity is a strength, not a weakness," alluding to the Legault government's Bill 21 on secularization and Bill 96 on the French language.

She also promoted Project Eco, which aims to drive the province's economy in a green direction.

For now, poll analyzer Qc125 predicts that the CAQ will win about 96 seats if the trend continues, a more-than-comfortable majority. The QLP is in second place at 18 per cent in voting intentions, but remains far behind the CAQ's 43 per cent.

YOUTH WING RESOLUTIONS

In addition to its resolutions regarding Bill 96 and Dawson College, the youth wing called for a requirement that students be involved in community organizations for a certain number of hours per year starting in Grade 5.

They also voted in favour of a resolution asking Quebec universities to give more weight to resumes, cover letters, interviews and references when admitting students.

The wing also wants its party to commit to banning ads for SUVs and then all 100 per cent gasoline-powered cars within the next few years. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 13, 2022.