Québec in Limbo: A Government Between Leaders

Members of the National Assembly returned to their seats last week, amid the intensifying race for the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) leadership. Although the legislative session is underway, it is no longer entirely clear who is actually governing Québec.

On certain sensitive issues, there are now three distinct positions: that of François Legault – who intends to govern until the very end of his mandate – and those of the two leadership candidates, each seeking to distinguish themselves in the race. This unusual configuration gives the impression of a province in limbo, almost on pause. Despite this unusual context, there are a few salient issues that caught our attention in the past month.

Uncertainty Surrounding the Date of the Next Budget

Finance Minister Éric Girard’s pre-budget consultations in the province have officially concluded, but the date of the budget presentation remains unclear. Given that the new premier will only take office on April 12, and that Girard’s commitments will need to be incorporated into the fiscal framework, it is becoming less and less likely that Québec’s next budget will be tabled in March, as is customary. The CAQ Government may very well decide to postpone the exercise by a few weeks to allow the new leader time to step into the role and get up to speed.

“Brownies” at the Québec Liberal Party? Internal Investigation Is Inconclusive

Mired in allegations of wrongdoing and vote-buying during the leadership campaign that saw him narrowly win the Liberal leadership, Pablo Rodriguez resigned at the end of last year. An internal investigation commissioned by the Québec Liberal Party reviewed the text messages at the heart of the $100-a-piece donation scandal revealed by the Journal de Montréal, but the retired judge who authored the report said he lacked sufficient evidence and investigative powers to reach definitive conclusions.

Milliard Acclaimed as Leader of the Québec Liberal Party

At the close of nominations, only Charles Milliard’s candidacy had been received and approved by the Québec Liberal Party. As a result, the former CEO of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec was officially acclaimed as the new leader of the party. Mr. Milliard now faces the daunting task of rebuilding the once-dominant Liberal Party from the ashes. He will also have to quickly decide the fate of Marwah Rizqy, one of the party’s most popular MNAs, who was expelled from the party caucus by Pablo Rodriguez last fall.

Physician Compensation: New Bill, Stalemate with Specialists

In accordance with the agreement reached with general practitioners before the holidays, Health Minister Sonia Bélanger tabled a new bill on physician compensation. The legislation confirms the abandonment of performance targets and the penalties provided for under Bill 2, in favour of an incentive-based approach relying on bonuses, signifying a retreat by the government on the issue. Negotiations between the province and medical specialists, however, remain at a standstill. The specialists, negotiating from a position of strength, are threatening new pressure tactics to force an agreement. For its part, the government has ruled out granting specialists increases similar to those given to general practitioners.

A Long-Awaiting Bill to Regulate Carbon Storage

After repeatedly promising to do so in recent years, the Québec government took advantage of the return to the National Assembly to table Bill 17, which will regulate research and development of underground reservoirs. In concrete terms, the bill proposes a regulatory framework necessary for carbon capture and storage activities — a long-standing request from industry leaders. The legislation aims to allow the province to catch up in the deployment of this promising technology for climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as for the development of a strategic industrial sector.

Constitution Project: Work (and Legal Challenges) Resume

Upon his withdrawal from the CAQ leadership race, Simon Jolin-Barrette stated that he wanted to focus on his Québec Constitution project. True to his word, the minister took advantage of the resumption of parliamentary work to restart the study of Bill 1, but faced a wide array of criticism: an alleged colonialist attempt at assimilation according to Indigenous groups; a weakening of checks and balances according to unions; a threat to the rule of law according to the Barreau du Québec; and a risk to abortion rights according to certain legal experts and advocacy groups. Despite all this — as well as reservations expressed by leadership hopeful Christine Fréchette — Jolin-Barrette remains steadily on course.

CAQ Holds Its Breath as Report on SAAQclic is Set to be Released

Within the coming days, the commission tasked with investigating the SAAQclic IT debacle is expected to release its final report. Within the CAQ ranks, tensions are high. It is already known that certain players — including the current minister of Municipal Affairs, Geneviève Guilbault along with members of her team — have received notices of reprimand, as their testimony was deemed not credible, and are therefore expected to be formally criticized by Commissioner Gallant. What consequences will this have for the Minister? Will other individuals be reprimanded? How will the CAQ leadership candidates react? Stay tuned as it all unfolds.