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The quote of the week
I’ve always said that I love Canada, that one day I might be interested in being Canada’s Minister of Finance, but that’s not where I am now.
Quebec Minister of Finance, Eric Girard, after the decision of MP Eric Lefebvre to leave the Coalition Avenir Québec to make the jump to the federal government under the banner of Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party of Canada. He refuses to rule out the possibility of imitating him.
Quote of the week (bis)
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
The Prime Minister of the French Republic, Gabriel Attal, at the National Assembly of Quebec, on April 11
I didn’t expect this effect!
The French Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, quoted in the magazine Pointafter the standing ovation provoked last week in the National Assembly by “his plea in favor of the French language, youth and secularism, this “freedom which allows equality and fraternity””.
“No, I’m not ashamed”
Humiliation publique ou exercice légitime de reddition de comptes ? Les députés ont dépoussiéré mercredi une vieille procédure pour forcer Kristian Firth à répondre (enfin !) à toutes leurs questions sur les dépassements de coûts de l’application ArriveCAN. Ce genre de comparution ne s’était pas produit depuis 1913. Le cofondateur de GC Strategies s’est présenté dans ses plus beaux habits, les traits tirés, à la barre de la Chambre des communes pour se faire réprimander par son président, puis interroger par les députés. Greg Fergus lui a rappelé qu’il devait répondre à toutes les questions, même celle de la cheffe du Parti vert, Elizabeth May, qui a conclu ces deux heures de témoignage avec un « N’avez-vous pas honte ? ». « Non, je n’ai pas honte », a-t-il dit. Certains observateurs n’ont pas pu s’empêcher de remarquer que cette obligation de répondre devrait aussi s’appliquer au gouvernement lors de la période des questions…
Legault, impatient
« Quel est votre plus grand défaut ? », a demandé le chef par intérim du Parti libéral du Québec, Marc Tanguay, à François Legault lors de la commission parlementaire sur l’étude des crédits budgétaires du ministère du premier ministre. « J’entends les gens dire autour de moi. Je ne suis pas patient. La secrétaire générale est d’accord », a dit M. Legault, sourire en coin. Il a profité de l’occasion pour expliquer son style de gestion. L’ancien homme d’affaires veut des « résultats à court terme » et est « têtu ». « Chaque lundi, on [lui et la secrétaire générale Dominique Savoie] meets and I come back with my five priorities. Health, education, economy, environment and identity. I’m working on these five. We have concrete actions attached to our five priorities that we are working on,” he explained.
A government that is aging quickly, according to the Conservatives
Justin Trudeau’s Liberals suddenly looked old this week. “After eight years of this government…”, we heard again last week at the beginning of questions from several Conservatives in the House of Commons. Without even blowing out another candle, the Liberals have recorded a new year on the clock, according to the opposition. “After nine years of this government…”, updated the conservative elected officials this week of tabling the budget. Chef Pierre Poilievre came close to making a mistake in his calculation, but he recovered just in time. And his troops have repeatedly taken up the same line ever since. Elected on October 19, 2015, the Liberals have eight and a half years of governance under their belt.
Apply for a mandate in Ontario?
PHOTO JUSTIN TANG, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
The leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet
The leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, had a recommendation to make to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the day after the presentation of the federal budget. This latest budget increases federal interventions in areas of provincial jurisdiction: daycare services, dental insurance, drug insurance, municipal infrastructure and housing. “The Prime Minister has a fascination with the skills of Quebec and the provinces. I want to ask the Prime Minister if he has ever considered, to really pursue what interests him, being a candidate for Prime Minister in his favorite province: Ontario. » The main interested party was very unimpressed by this suggestion!
Bad report for the Ministry of Education
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Quebec Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville
Once again, the Department of Education has a poor record when it comes to access to information. Two thirds of its responses to requests made to it under the law exceed the legal deadline of 30 days. And it’s a former journalist who heads this ministry! “The delays are unacceptable. They will be shortened,” promised Bernard Drainville. The Ministry of Education was also a dunce in this area under Jean-François Roberge. Who is the minister responsible for access to information today? Jean-François Roberge. He refuses to commit to reopening the law by the end of the mandate to correct its many shortcomings.
Big common sense or big nonsense?
PHOTO PATRICK DOYLE, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Canada’s Housing Minister, Sean Fraser
It’s a war of slogans on the benches of the House of Commons. The Minister of Housing, Sean Fraser, responded to Pierre Poilievre’s “common sense” with “gross nonsense”. It must be said that the incisive slogans tirelessly repeated on all platforms by the Conservative leader hold the attention of voters. The Liberals are now trying to get back on track. And what is “big nonsense”? Possible Conservative cuts to programs for the middle class, housing construction and the environment.