Québec’s Political Pulse

With MNAs back at the National Assembly and Premier Christine Fréchette now sworn in, Québec has entered the final stretch before the next election campaign. This month’s update highlights the key political developments shaping the months ahead.

Parliamentary return: a soft landing for Christine Fréchette

Observers were eagerly awaiting the resumption of parliamentary proceedings, as it marked the first real test for the newly installed CAQ Premier. Overall, the return to the National Assembly went relatively smoothly for the Premier and her new cabinet. The Premier was not strongly challenged by opposition MNAs, who focused mainly on linking her to her unpopular predecessor, François Legault. As for the issue of the day, the rollout of the Digital Health Record, as discussed later on, appears to be moving forward without major problems – for now.

The Premier lays out priorities for the next month

Christine Fréchette wasted no time in setting out her extensive to-do list: adopting legislation to allow women to verify their partners’ criminal records, converting 5,000 daycare spaces, addressing rising gas and grocery prices, reimbursing the welcome tax for first-time homebuyers, reducing the administrative burden on small and medium-sized enterprises, unveiling a new strategy to promote Québec purchasing in public contracts, launching virtual waiting room pilot projects, extending Bill 101 to include vocational and adult education, and reactivating the Québec Experience Program—an accelerated immigration pathway whose suspension had plunged the previous government into controversy. It remains to be seen whether she will be able to fulfill this ambitious agenda, with less than five months before the next election and only four weeks of parliamentary sittings left.

Fréchette settles thorny issues from the Legault era

Even before the return to the National Assembly, Christine Fréchette began tackling policy files that had long plagued her predecessor. In the days following her appointment, she announced an agreement with medical specialists regarding their compensation. She also announced the release of $700 million to accelerate construction of the future Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital, whose advanced state of decay had drawn public attention and triggered a broader debate about the state of public infrastructure in Québec. Whether Fréchette will continue to resolve controversial legacy issues in the months ahead remains to be seen, but she is off to a running start.

Digital Health Record rollout sparks controversy

While the province is still reeling from the SAAQclic fiasco, Santé Québec proceeded on May 8 with the rollout of the Digital Health Record in two pilot regions—but not without controversy. The platform is intended to centralize patients’ medical information in order to make it easier for both users and health professionals to access it.

Despite calls from the opposition, following criticism from the former Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Technology—now serving as an independent MNA—the government maintained its scheduled timeline. Rolled out as planned during the night of May 8, the system has so far avoided the feared worst-case scenario, despite a few minor bugs.

Fréchette trapped by the Conservative Party of Québec on the Constitution project

Premier Christine Fréchette has well-known reservations about the Québec Constitution project championed by her minister, Simon Jolin-Barrette. During the leadership race, she made support for its adoption conditional on backing from at least one other party, aware of the CAQ’s isolated position on the issue. Along came a surprise from the Conservative Party of Québec, which now has an MNA in its ranks following the recruitment of a former CAQ member. The burgeoning political party recently announced its support for the bill, placing Ms. Fréchette in a delicate position she did not anticipate. All the Premier can do now is hope that the Québec Liberal Party blocks the bill in order to prevent its adoption before the summer recess and the fall election.

Liberal leader stumbles twice on the protection of the French language

Like several Liberal Party leaders before him, Charles Milliard is discovering the difficulty of navigating the defence of French alongside the expectations of the anglophone minority, a traditional pillar of the party’s electoral base. After surprising many by stating that a future Liberal government would use the notwithstanding clause to protect legislation strengthening French, Milliard was forced into an embarrassing retreat following pushback from members of his own caucus. More recently, he sparked controversy by referring to the existence of two official languages, even though French is Québec’s only official language. These difficulties come at an opportune time for both the PQ and the CAQ, just as the PLQ had taken the lead in the polls.

With the election campaign approaching, heavy hitters step forward

Eager to position themselves as a government-in-waiting, political parties in Québec have begun unveiling high-profile candidates in recent weeks. For Québec solidaire, Alexandre Boulerice has officially left the federal NDP to run for the party. The PQ has recruited Philippe Schnobb, former journalist and pastchair of the STM (Société de transport de Montréal) board of directors, as well as lawyer René Branchaud, head of the Business Law group at Lavery law firm. The PLQ is also expected to announce several prominent candidates soon, including Pierre Cossette, former rector of the Université de Sherbrooke; Michel Leblanc, former president of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montréal; and Julie White, president of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Québec. The CAQ remains silent for now, either out of necessity or by strategy.