For some time now, we have heard more and more observers making the link between Maurice Duplessis and François Legault, in particular demonstrating the craftiness of the two politicians. The first marked Quebec with his political shenanigans and multiple corruptions, to the point where we spoke of a period of great darkness, and the second shocked people with his $500 gifts for everyone, including the richest. , although it has no effect on inflation.
The latter, moreover, multiplies short-sighted policies, especially on the side of ecology, which is catching up with us with its exceptional winds, and by its total incomprehension of the flaws in our health system. Not to mention purely electoral expenses, such as the future tunnel between Quebec City and Lévis, which will shorten the journey of 60,000 motorists by less than half an hour at the announced cost of $6.5 billion, a cost which, obviously, will be double.
But one can find at least two important differences between these politicians: first, the enormous concentration of power in the hands of Duplessis and, second, a political organization that can be called sprawling. For example, in the first case, you had to go directly through Duplessis to obtain a scholarship. As was the case of a student friend of the colleague from Trois-Rivières, whose family was unable to pay the fees and who claimed that she could not vote other than for the Union Nationale in the 1956 election, because the party saw everything.
Or, like my father, who had to wait more than three hours in the Prime Minister’s antechamber to obtain a scholarship for Pauline Julien to study theater in Paris. Similarly, Georges-Émile Lapalme, former leader of the Liberal Party, explained to us in 1962, at the end of a meeting reviewing preparations for the Estates General of French Canada, why Duplessis systematically brought crucial bills Friday afternoon.
He knew that if the discussion continued later than four o’clock, all the Liberal MPs from Montreal would no longer be able to catch the last train to spend their weekend with their families. Which obviously meant that we inexorably arrived at a forced consensus.
As for political organization, the Union Nationale had in every important street what was called an unofficial representative, whose job it was to grasp the political tendencies and the needs of good citizens. Poteau, as he was called, who worked for the political representative of the district. This one reported to a local chief, who had to report to the regional manager. Etc. This meant that the party could know to whom it should give a cooler or cases of beer at election time.
Thus, when visiting the former electoral office of a Unionist candidate in the county of Maskinongé, I was even able to see receipts for these transactions in a box of shoes, including two receipts for battles organized during certain opposition rallies, in the context of an election campaign. Not to mention, apart from, a 33 rpm disc with, on one side, the reel of Duplessis, and on the other, the reel of the National Union.
We now know that any politician, given the reforms of the Quebec government carried out under René Lévesque and Pauline Marois, cannot return to such political practices. Which means that François Legault must act differently, with his cutesy interventions and his arrogance, in the face of his political opponents. On the other hand, as far as action is concerned, he does not want to do anything for futile reasons, as in the case of the proliferation of pickup trucks and SUVs, which means that Quebec continues to increase its pollution, against other countries.
Or he wants us to pay for the closure of old gas wells, such as well noh 12 of the Bécancour River, which continually leaks, rather than pursuing businesses. Moreover, it may well pity the nurses and criticize certain administrators of the health system, but it does nothing to decentralize management within the framework of a home health strategy. He had however strongly criticized the centralizing reform of Barrette.
In short, if François Legault resembles Maurice Duplessis, it is above all by his inability to think long-term about the future of Quebec, except with regard to language, and again. But you have to understand that if he could, he would do exactly as he did, until the opposition showed its limits. Especially now that the pandemic no longer prevents its adversaries from better organizing and intervening.