They say that those who are absent are always wrong, but sometimes it is better to be absent to avoid finding yourself in a situation where you risk being blamed no matter what you say.
Last Monday, a convenient “scheduling conflict” prevented Premier Legault from joining his provincial and territorial counterparts, who gathered in Halifax to discuss primarily health and carbon pricing.
In the same way that it is forbidden to highlight the absence, presumed justified, of a colleague from the National Assembly, those of Mr. Legault did not seem to take offense at his. Perhaps they were even relieved to avoid the risk of another hiccup. Quebec is so capricious…
Last summer, Mr. Legault came to the meeting of the Council of the Federation presenting himself as the champion of the energy transition and the green economy in the country. Certainly, he no longer talks about the “dirty energy” of the West, but some must nevertheless begin to be annoyed to hear him continually repeat that Quebec is the place in North America where greenhouse gas emissions greenhouse gas (GHG) per capita are the lowest.
As such, it is difficult to see how he could have supported the unanimous request of the participants at the Halifax meeting, who demanded that all forms of fossil energy used for domestic heating be exempt from the tax. on carbon that the Trudeau government has decreed in the case of fuel oil.
The federal decision is perhaps unfair for those who heat with gas, but generalizing the exemption would further compromise the achievement of the GHG emissions reduction objectives set by Ottawa. Already, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development believes that the measures put in place will not allow the target set for 2030 to be achieved.
In any case, Quebec is not affected by the suspension decreed by Ottawa since it has its own carbon pricing system. If he had wanted to intervene, Mr. Legault would have been politely invited to mind his own business.
It would nevertheless have been interesting to hear what he would have had to say about Alberta’s desire to withdraw from the Canada Pension Plan to create its own plan, as Quebec did in the 1960s.
There is still a long way to go, but it has created quite a stir in Halifax. Alberta Prime Minister Danielle Smith, who plans to hold a referendum on the subject in 2025, presented a study last month according to which her province would be entitled to 53% of the assets of the Canadian plan. We can understand the concern of his colleagues.
Mr. Legault could hardly have discouraged M.me Smith. Quebec has never had to regret the decision of the Lesage government, which decided to go it alone and create the Caisse de dépôt et placement to make Quebecers’ contributions grow. The Caisse has not only experienced excellent returns, but also contributed significantly to the economic development of Quebec over the last 60 years.
Health was expected to be an important topic of discussion in Halifax. This prospect should not have been very tempting for Mr. Legault. Since last July, all provinces except Quebec have reached an agreement on the Canada Health Transfer under the conditions set by the Trudeau government, even if the amounts granted represent only a fraction of what they requested. Once again, Quebec is reluctant to follow the parade.
If any doubt remained in his mind, Mr. Legault now knows that the common fronts of the provinces, which we swear are unshakeable, invariably end up collapsing. His friend Doug Ford, whose province serves as his model, was even one of the first to let him go.
As the new converts were often the most fervent, this did not shake his faith in the virtues of federalism. Since becoming Prime Minister, Mr. Legault has done everything to be an exemplary Canadian, but it is becoming a little embarrassing to always be the joke’s turkey.
He would no doubt have been happy to see participants at the Halifax meeting agree to put an end to the theft of health professionals between provinces. Last September, the head of the Outaouais regional department of internal medicine denounced the presence of establishments from other provinces, notably Ontario, at the Career Day of Quebec resident doctors.
At a time when nurses are taking to the streets to demand working conditions comparable to those of their sisters in other provinces, it would be reassuring to think that they will no longer be able to go into exile… But does anyone seriously believe that Are we going to close the door in their faces?