First day of campaign | The war of words has begun

(Saguenay) François Legault made an impression on Sunday when the election was called, but not for the reasons he wanted. As he launched his election campaign in front of the postcard-worthy setting of the Montmorency Falls in Quebec City, the leader of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) challenged Liberal leader Dominique Anglade, referring to her as “this lady”, without naming it.

Hugo Pilon Larose
The Press

His statement immediately made his opponent jump.

In response to the Liberal leader, who asked him if he would repeat that the labor shortage is good news, François Legault instead defended his economic record on Sunday, adding that “the labor shortage , it was not caused by the CAQ”.

“How can this lady say that the Quebec economy is not doing well? We never saw that with the Liberals, overtaking Ontario, ”he replied without saying his name. “The madam, she has a plan! “, quickly reacted M^me Anglade in front of a few hundred activists gathered in Montreal.

“Talking about “this lady”… When we say that her head does not fit through the door frame! It’s arrogance! It is contempt! We have a message for François Legault: this lady, she is an engineer, she has business experience for more than 20 years, she is leader of the official opposition, she is leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, her name is Dominique Anglade and will be the next Premier of Quebec! added Liberal MP for LaFontaine, Marc Tanguay.

On Twitter, the director of cabinet of M^me Anglade, Valérie Rodrigue, wrote: “This is how the CAQ campaign begins. Phew! We wish each other more height for the next few days! »

Asked why he did not name his liberal vis-à-vis, Mr. Legault clarified: “I try not to personalize. She is the leader of the Liberal Party. He promised to call her by her title from now on.

This first faux pas in François Legault’s campaign also caused a reaction in the caravans of other political parties. “Before madam, there was “Mother Teresa” [en référence à Christine Labrie]. It’s not the first time. Me, that’s not how I’m going to refer to Dominique Anglade, ”said Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, of Quebec solidaire.

“It lacks a bit of respect and it’s strange because Dominique Anglade was the president of the CAQ. How can a situation like this happen? They have already worked in the same party, they know each other, ”added Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, of the Parti Québécois. “It’s the supreme arrogance of the CAQ,” said Conservative Party leader Éric Duhaime.

At the start of the campaign, while his party is currently harvesting good polls, Mr. Legault was questioned on Sunday as to whether he could be his worst enemy, with his sometimes risky statements. In a press briefing, the chief caquiste had admitted that he “is not perfect”.

“You have seen it, I make mistakes sometimes and when it happens to me, we try not to persist out of pride, but to show humility,” he said, before his statement on “this lady” makes you react. In this specific case, the CAQ leader did not apologize.

A “shield” against inflation

For the leader of the CAQ, who is asking Quebecers who will vote on October 3 for a second term, the Quebec economy is doing well, while the province has reduced its wealth gap with Ontario. “Ask yourself the question: who do you want managing your portfolio in the next four years? Which economic team do you trust the most? “, he said Sunday, trying on the first day of the electoral campaign to influence the question of the ballot box.

After launching his campaign in Quebec, Mr. Legault hit the road to visit a creamery in Alma, in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. The caquiste chief did not grant a scrum to the journalists of the regional media who were present.

In the evening, Mr. Legault gave a speech to activists gathered in the riding of Jonquière, won in 2018 by PQ MP Sylvain Gaudreault, who is leaving politics. He said he would soon present a “shield” of measures against inflation, without detailing them. A tax cut (promised many times over the past few months by the CAQ) is one of these measures, Finance Minister Eric Girard later said.

Gun violence in Montreal

François Legault also commented on the rise in gun violence in Montreal on Sunday. In response to questions from the media who asked him why he had not spoken in recent days on this issue, he recalled that he had lived in the metropolis since his birth.

“Security, if there is a party for which it is important, it is the CAQ”, he said, adding that more police officers are needed in Montreal to restore a feeling of security to population.

On the electoral level at the start of the campaign, the CAQ troops see in their rear view mirror the Conservative Party of Éric Duhaime, who is betting a lot on the popularity of his party in the Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions to elect its first deputies.

According to the Qc125.com electoral projection site, the Conservative leader is currently hot on the heels of the outgoing CAQ MP for Chauveau, Sylvain Lévesque. His party is also projected to be second in the ridings of Beauce-Sud and Beauce-Nord.

“At some point, when you’re in politics, when you’re a party leader, you have to be responsible, and the responsible position is to work for the common good and to make sure that you protect the most vulnerable “, replied Mr. Legault, targeting his conservative opponent about his opposition to sanitary measures.

“I think that there is a large majority of Quebecers, including in Quebec, including in Beauce, who have been and who are in solidarity with the most vulnerable people […] and who have agreed to follow certain instructions and measures. I have confidence that in Quebec and Beauce, the majority of Quebecers will follow us, ”continued the CAQ leader.

The election campaign will last 36 days. The leaders will cross swords during two national debates, the first on the TVA network on September 15, then on September 22 on Radio-Canada.

With the collaboration of Tommy Chouinard, Charles Lecavalier and Fanny Lévesque, The Press