Four more years of the CAQ: this is what the party has promised

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Québec has spoken.

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After a campaign marked by controversial statements and subsequent apologies, François Legault and his Coalition Avenir Québec party will lead the province for the next four years. Legault made a series of promises to Quebecers during the campaign, from ways to fight inflation to plans to ease the strain on the health system.

Here are some of the main promises of the CAQ:

Economy and cost of living

To combat inflation, the CAQ has promised to give 6.4 million Quebecers checks ranging from $400 to $600, and up to $2,000 a year to the elderly. The party also promised to cut income taxes by 2.5 percent over 10 years, with a first cut for the two lowest tax brackets in 2023.

“I believe that the government has a duty to help Quebecers deal with this exceptional increase in costs,” Legault told reporters in late August. “We have the means to do it.”

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Legault also said that if he is re-elected, the CAQ would spend $1.8 billion on affordable and social housing during his next term. Specifically, he said the party would build 11,700 new units and subsidize the rent of 7,200 homes (figures that have been criticized by housing rights groups).

quebec identity

The CAQ has vowed not to hold an independence referendum, saying its Quebec project is inside Canada, even though the party lists several high-profile sovereignists as candidates.

He promised a series of measures to bolster the “pride” of Quebec, including $40 million in funding for 20 research chairs in Quebec studies, $40 million to restore and maintain religious buildings across the province, $10 million for an awareness campaign on reading and $175 million to increase Quebec’s Food Self-Sufficiency.

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Ambient

The CAQ promised to reduce greenhouse gases by 37 percent from 1990 levels by 2030 and for the province to have net-zero emissions by 2050. Legault said the only way to reach those goals is to have more hydroelectric dams, saying which will order a hydroelectric plant in the province to analyze which rivers can be dammed.

“Without a dam, it’s impossible,” Legault told reporters in mid-September.

The party also promised to create a Blue Fund with a budget of $650 million to protect the province’s waters, and to invest $120 million in the forestry industry and $50 million in sustainable agriculture. He said it would promote hunting and fishing and give Quebecers greater access to nature.

Immigration

The CAQ promised to keep immigration levels at about 50,000 newcomers a year, saying the province has reached its capacity to integrate immigrants and teach them French.

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The party also said it would provide incentives for more immigrants to move to Quebec City and other regions outside of Montreal, in part to turn the former into a second metropolis in the province.

“The first thing that has to happen is to increase the population,” Legault said in early September.

His plan to encourage newcomers to settle outside of Montreal is to expand a program that screens immigrants based on the needs of specific businesses. A prospective immigrant who is offered a job by a company in Quebec City, for example, would have priority over other applicants.

“That will automatically increase the percentage of immigrants leaving Montreal and we will pay particular attention to the Greater Quebec region,” Legault said.

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Health care

The CAQ promised to open two private medical centers, one in Montreal and one in Quebec City, offering services fully subsidized by the public insurance system.

The party backtracked on its failed 2018 campaign promise that every Quebecois could have a family doctor. Instead, he promised to launch a digital health platform to direct people to the right professional, such as a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

He also promised that by 2026, all health facilities will allow certain patients, who meet strict criteria and consent, to be cared for at home, with a care team serving them virtually or through visits, in order to free up beds in the hospitals.

The CAQ also committed to training and recruiting 660 doctors and 5,000 health professionals.

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Education

The CAQ promised to spend an additional $2 billion to renovate aging schools over four years and $1.5 billion to renovate or build sports facilities over 10 years.

He pledged $1.4 billion over five years to ensure all Quebec children have access to childcare at a subsidized rate and said he would create a virtual platform to increase professional services for struggling students across Quebec.

Other promises to highlight

The CAQ promised to guarantee complete cellular coverage in the regions of Quebec by 2030 through a $3 billion fund to build the 5G network and offer fiber optic internet for all. The plan is based on a contribution of $5 billion from the private sector.