In hockey as in politics, you have to be really keen to watch a game where you know the final score in advance.
Posted on August 28
Despite everything, we must hope that the electoral campaign which officially begins today will be able to captivate the voters, even if the result of the ballot seems written in the sky, the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) is so all-powerful.
According to recent polls, the CAQ could elect 97 deputies (compared to 76 today) and end up with 78% of the seats, which has not been seen since the election of the Liberals in 1985. And again, at this time, the opposition was not completely fragmented as it is today.
With such a position of strength, Prime Minister François Legault has already begun to “play the trap”, this defensive strategy that sports teams use to protect their lead. And which gives a part without interest.
This summer, François Legault remained extremely discreet, preferring to ask supporters or deputies to sing his praises in honeyed advertisements. He also refused to participate in various leaders’ debates – debate on the environment, debate of the English media – which are nevertheless important meetings to enlighten the general public.
In order to avoid the banana peels, unfortunately it seems that François Legault is following the same action plan that allowed Premier Doug Ford to be re-elected in Ontario last spring, with an even stronger majority than in his first victory.
His recipe? Offering tax candies to voters and running a “flat” campaign during which the candidates became entangled in pseudo-controversies, such as the notes that they were or were not allowed to consult during the leaders’ debate, instead of focusing on glaring problems, such as health, which is in disarray this summer.
In the end, Doug Ford won an inglorious victory, based on an anemic turnout (43%).
A black eye for democracy.
We do not want to come to that in Quebec, where the participation rate has already dropped by 15 points in a quarter of a century. In the last elections, only two-thirds of voters turned out to vote.
If the parties want voters to be interested in the political contest, it is up to them to leave the politics in the locker room and to debate the issues that really concern the population.
And issues, that’s not what is missing in Quebec!
Health tops the list, with the pandemic having exposed all the flaws in a system that needs an electric shock.
How to make a shift towards home care for seniors? How to improve first-line care to relieve emergency room congestion? Should we rely more on the private sector? And mental health in all this?
Lets go ! Let’s be imaginative: it’s time to reinvent health before the aging of the population deals it the final blow.
But the future of Quebec depends on education, which deserves just as much attention. We must find once and for all ways to reduce school dropout, particularly among boys, a serious phenomenon unique to Quebec.
The environment also raises pressing issues. Beyond easy-to-throw targets, all parties have a responsibility to explain how they intend to achieve their greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.
With inflation capped, voters will also be very sensitive to issues affecting their wallets, including the housing crisis. But tax cuts – attractive as they are – are not an avenue to favor, while a recession is taking shape for 2023, according to Desjardins, and our public services are cracking everywhere.
Instead, let’s ask ourselves how to improve the deficient productivity in Quebec and how to overcome our number one enemy: the labor shortage. This will open the debate on immigration thresholds, the French language, secularism…
Debate, dialogue, is what keeps a democracy healthy. Come on, let’s talk about it. It’s time !
Dear readers, are you ready? We are!
Throughout the campaign, the editorial team of The Press will be there to address the big questions that concern you.
For several years now, The Press does not take a position for a particular party during elections. We haven’t done it since The Press stands on its own as a non-profit property since 2018. We won’t do that anymore this time around.
But that does not mean that we remain confined to neutrality. On the contrary, the very mission of our editorial pages is to take a stand on hot topics, on behalf of the institution that is The Press.
We will therefore be there to dig into and analyze the issues of the day. To highlight constructive solutions for Quebec, regardless of which party they come from, because no one has a monopoly on good ideas. And to feed your thoughts and allow you to make your cross in the right place, during the next election.
Here, there is no right or wrong decision. The best choice is yours. The one that best matches your values and priorities.
To all voters, to all candidates, we wish an excellent campaign. A real !