During the first half of the twentiethe century, the deputies took advantage of the last session of the parliamentary session to engage in a battle of paper. They seized serials, minutes, reports, newspapers and even books scattered on their desks to swing them at their opponents while singing theO Canada.
Some fell under the “polka dots” and the “javelins” of paper. In 1915, the deputy for Saint-Maurice, Georges-Isidore Delisle, “not very skilful in parrying blows”, took “a volume obliquely on the temple” and was “all[é] numb his pain in the Legislative Council”, reported The duty.
This week, the deputies resisted the temptation to fire balls of paper on both sides of the room of the National Assembly. Some, however, could not resist the temptation to launch a few insults, including one or other of the 28 deputies who chose not to seek a new mandate on October 3 next.
The Minister responsible for Canadian Relations, Sonia LeBel, is in the lot. On Thursday, she fell head over heels for the MP for Joliette, Véronique Hivon, who had asked her if she had deleted the text messages she exchanged with the federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc, to camouflage the “zero balance” from New project for Quebec nationalists of the Coalition avenir Québec over the past four years. “I find it odious, odious, this morning, what my colleague is trying to insinuate”, “I find it deplorable that my colleague chooses to end her career in the National Assembly in this way”, declared Sonia LeBel in the House , under the perplexed glances.
After nearly four years of parliamentary work, including more than two years in a health emergency situation — during which they scrutinized and then adopted 125 of the 138 bills submitted for their consideration by the government — several deputies had the nerves on edge.
From “separatists” to “provincialists”
The caquistes experienced a disastrous end to the legislature, in particular due to the declaration of Premier François Legault on the risks of the Louisianization of Quebec if Ottawa refuses to entrust him with new powers in terms of immigration, then the sensational arrival of the former member of the PQ — and father of the Charter of Quebec Values — Bernard Drainville in the “nationalist” ranks of the CAQ.
At the end of their mandate, François Legault and his team are portrayed by the Liberals as “separatists” puffed up with “arrogance” and sowers of “division”. “As premier, I’m going to want to represent not a portion of Quebecers, not those who voted for us as a political party, I’m going to want to represent all Quebecers,” promised the leader of the Liberal Party of Quebec, Dominique Anglade, in the hall of the Hôtel du Parlement on Friday. The elected Liberals then spun into a parliamentary committee room, where they could not help but sing theO Canadathen People of the countrybefore looking for a parliamentary majority.
On the other hand, the caquistes are described by the péquistes as “provincialists […] resigned” having failed to protect the “Quebec identity. “It’s not true that we can talk about pride, make ourselves believe that we are proud, and then, at the same time, constantly encourage resignation. Resignation is perfectly incompatible with pride”, argued the leader of the Parti québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, inviting “all those who hold a microphone, a camera or a pen” to shine the spotlight on the “proposals” put forward. by each of the political parties during the summer and not the electoral projections. “Pride is taking responsibility for your ideas, dreaming about the future and then going to the front for what you believe in,” he continued.
François Legault is convinced of having safeguarded the specificity of Quebec — its language, its values — by means of the Act respecting the secularism of the State (supported by the Parti Québécois) and the Act respecting the official and common language. from Quebec, French (supported by Quebec solidaire): both subject to provisions derogating from the charters of rights and freedoms; both challenged in court.
QS criticizes the patching of the CAQ
The CAQ has turned away from current issues to “become[ir] the party of François Legault’s obsessions: Louisiana, immigration…” deplored the parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. In particular, he criticized the government for having tried to ” patch cost of living crisis” with special financial assistance of $500 and “ patch the climate crisis” with speeches that are greener than each other. “The CAQ patch crises as we patch potholes in Quebec,” said the MP for Gouin, describing his parliamentary group as the “best opposition” to the Legault government.
For his part, the CAQ leader prides himself on leaving parliament with the “best environmental record” in Quebec history: purchase of electric buses, supply of New York with hydroelectricity, call for tenders never seen in the wind power, new protected areas, extension of the deposit, he listed.
That said, the narrowing of the wealth gap between Quebec and Ontario under his leadership is his “great pride”. “I am not young [et] I don’t remember seeing this: score [mieux que l’Ontario] on economic growth […]of score better than Ontario on wages, score better [que l’Ontario] on the unemployment rate for four years. We can say: mission accomplished! he declared, standing behind a lectern decorated with the formula: “An economy more prosperous than ever”.
The government’s message has become muddled in recent days due to the renewed debate on Quebec’s place in Canada, which has forced François Legault to repeat that the CAQ’s nationalist project is within Canada. “There are two old parties that are used to having the sovereignist-federalist debate. There are journalists who would like us to return to a federalist-sovereignist debate. But Quebecers are no longer there, ”insisted the CAQ leader, while promising to talk more about the economy during the election campaign.
François Legault could also cause “Constitution”. Indeed, the caquistes are currently thinking about the idea of drafting a Quebec Constitution in which the right to self-determination of Quebec, which is already provided for in “Bill 99”, would appear. “It is currently being discussed. I ask you to be patient,” he told the press, adding that the content of the CAQ’s electoral platform will be shelled throughout the summer.
125 laws passed
During the legislature, the CAQ government legislated to deploy four-year-old kindergartens, put an end to elections in French-language school boards, create a court specializing in matters of sexual violence and domestic violence, place the interests of the child at the heart decisions of the Department of Youth Protection (DPJ), cut short any hydrocarbon research and production project, dust off the laws on the status of the artist, initiate the reform of family law. On the other hand, François Legault’s team abandoned its promise to introduce a mixed proportional voting system and ran out of time to expand the scope of medical assistance in dying.
The former minister – and co-author of the End-of-Life Care Act – Véronique Hivon did not look for the culprit. “We would have really liked to succeed, then we have worked in this direction over the last few days, but we hope that to see us all reunited in a transpartisan way, all committed to the future, that will give them strength. hope”, she said, by interposed cameras.
The elected PQ received Friday, a few minutes before the adjournment of work, the visit of Sonia LeBel to her desk to give her the hug, before immortalizing the moment by means of her mobile phone. Around them, the deputies exchanged handshakes, while others shared selfies.
Before leaving Parliament Hill, François Legault reiterated his promise to offer a “cheque” to Quebecers hit by the rising cost of living somewhere in November or December, and asked his ministers to stop net government announcements from 1er July… “apart from exceptions”.
With Alexandre Robillard and Florence Morin-Martel