The continuing strike, the faltering economy… Clearly, the end of the year is not a gift to Quebec. If our elected officials were Santa’s elves, here’s what we’d like them to leave under the tree to start 2024 off on the right foot.
A collective agreement
The dragging out strike is a failure not only for the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), but also for the Quebec model which is failing everywhere, despite our high taxes. For children deprived of school, for patients in need of care, for workers without income, we strongly hope for a collective agreement which, beyond better working conditions, will allow a real turning point in our public services in distress.
Productivity, please
We had confirmation of this on Thursday: Quebec has suffered two consecutive quarters of economic decline, which corresponds to the classic definition of a recession. And the last quarter of 2023 also risks being in the red, due to the strike. What do you want, it’s the price to pay to curb overheating. To bounce back, we must improve productivity which is lagging. Training, innovation, digitalization… This is the best way to improve our standard of living, while limiting inflation. The Quebec Minister of Finance conducted consultations. We want concrete measures in the next budget.
Bureaucracy on the diet
Dear elected officials, dear civil servants, forget oyster dinners and hockey games at taxpayers’ expense. Watchword: discipline. With rising interest rates eating into budgets – Ottawa pays as much in interest fees as in health transfers – difficult choices will have to be made. Why not start by pruning the public service, as the CAQ had promised before taking power? Over the past five years, the public service has instead increased its workforce by 12%, or 60,500 workers. Oops ! In Ottawa and Montreal, numbers are also on the rise. Quickly, go on a diet!
A mandatory code for grocery stores
Speaking of diet, grocery store prices have families drooling this year. And it’s not over: prices are expected to rise by 4.5% in 2024. What to do? The industry has been simmering a voluntary code of conduct to stabilize prices for a good three years. Enough discussion! It is time for Ottawa to impose a mandatory code and ensure that all players follow it, including holdouts like Loblaw. Who knows, perhaps healthier rules will encourage a foreign player to set up in Canada to launch a price war.
The hammer by the horns!
Hallelujah! The year 2023 will have been the year in which we agreed on the fact that more housing must be built to rebalance the market. Quebec and Ottawa have released 1.8 billion for affordable housing. Well done ! But for the middle class, real estate remains unaffordable, which leads to serious inequity towards young people. The CAQ must take the hammer by the horns! Ontario and British Columbia have launched ambitious plans. Here ? Almost nothing. We must iron out the constraints and reduce the delays that slow down construction starts.
Getting justice out of intensive care
Our justice system is in intensive care. This is how people accused of sexual assault and drug trafficking are released without trial. It’s revolting ! We must reinvest, yes. But above all, we must optimize resources and eliminate ineffective procedures, as Quebec has done by modifying the treatment of tickets that clog up municipal courts. Excellent ! Go further. An example ? By diverting social problems that affect vulnerable people, we would avoid bringing them back into court repeatedly for actions that do not threaten public safety.
Health! Home…
What would New Year’s Eve be without the timeless wishes for health? The network is on its knees. And the pressure will increase with the aging of the population for which we are poorly prepared. Tick-tock, tick-tock. Hurry up. By 2040, the number of Quebecers losing their autonomy will jump by 70%. Instead of building places in residences at an astronomical cost, we must accelerate the shift to home care that seniors prefer when their needs are low or moderate. The status quo is not sustainable.
“Children of Palestine or children of Israel…”
On Christmas Eve, the tune of the song Christmas for the children of the world who demands “let the guns be silent” comes sadly to our ears. At least we can be happy that Canada finally voted in favor of a ceasefire at the UN. As much as we must condemn the horrible attacks of Hamas, we must also denounce the indiscriminate destruction of Gaza by Israel. Timid until now, Ottawa must be bold to regain the voice it already had in the past on the international scene.
And you ?
And you, dear readers, what gift would you like to receive from elected officials? Between a glass of bubbles and a bite of tourtière, write to us! On this, in the name of The Presswe wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Our editorialist Stéphanie Grammond collectively wishes us a collective agreement in the public sector, productivity and health.
All we want for Christmas is…
The continuing strike, the faltering economy… Clearly, the end of the year is not a gift to Quebec. If our elected officials were Santa’s elves, here’s what we’d like them to leave under the tree to start 2024 off on the right foot.
A collective agreement
The dragging out strike is a failure not only for the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), but also for the Quebec model which is failing everywhere, despite our high taxes. For children deprived of school, for patients in need of care, for workers without income, we strongly hope for a collective agreement which, beyond better working conditions, will allow a real turning point in our public services in distress.
Productivity, please
We had confirmation of this on Thursday: Quebec has suffered two consecutive quarters of economic decline, which corresponds to the classic definition of a recession. And the last quarter of 2023 also risks being in the red, due to the strike. What do you want, it’s the price to pay to curb overheating. To bounce back, we must improve productivity which is lagging. Training, innovation, digitalization… This is the best way to improve our standard of living, while limiting inflation. The Quebec Minister of Finance conducted consultations. We want concrete measures in the next budget.
Bureaucracy on the diet
Dear elected officials, dear civil servants, forget oyster dinners and hockey games at taxpayers’ expense. Watchword: discipline. With rising interest rates eating into budgets – Ottawa pays as much in interest fees as in health transfers – difficult choices will have to be made. Why not start by pruning the public service, as the CAQ had promised before taking power? Over the past five years, the public service has instead increased its workforce by 12%, or 60,500 workers. Oops ! In Ottawa and Montreal, numbers are also on the rise. Quickly, go on a diet!
A mandatory code for grocery stores
Speaking of diet, grocery store prices have families drooling this year. And it’s not over: prices are expected to rise by 4.5% in 2024. What to do? The industry has been simmering a voluntary code of conduct to stabilize prices for a good three years. Enough discussion! It is time for Ottawa to impose a mandatory code and ensure that all players follow it, including holdouts like Loblaw. Who knows, perhaps healthier rules will encourage a foreign player to set up in Canada to launch a price war.
The hammer by the horns!
Hallelujah! The year 2023 will have been the year in which we agreed on the fact that more housing must be built to rebalance the market. Quebec and Ottawa have released 1.8 billion for affordable housing. Well done ! But for the middle class, real estate remains unaffordable, leading to serious inequity towards young people. The CAQ must take the hammer by the horns! Ontario and British Columbia have launched ambitious plans. Here ? Almost nothing. We must iron out the constraints and reduce the delays that slow down construction starts.
Getting justice out of intensive care
Our justice system is in intensive care. This is how people accused of sexual assault and drug trafficking are released without trial. It’s revolting ! We must reinvest, yes. But above all, we must optimize resources and eliminate ineffective procedures, as Quebec has done by modifying the treatment of tickets that clog up municipal courts. Excellent ! Go further. An example ? By diverting social problems that affect vulnerable people, we would avoid bringing them back into court repeatedly for actions that do not threaten public safety.
Health! Home…
What would New Year’s Eve be without the timeless wishes for health? The network is on its knees. And the pressure will increase with the aging of the population for which we are poorly prepared. Tick-tock, tick-tock. Hurry up. By 2040, the number of Quebecers losing their autonomy will jump by 70%. Instead of building places in residences at an astronomical cost, we must accelerate the shift to home care that seniors prefer when their needs are low or moderate. The status quo is not sustainable.
“Children of Palestine or children of Israel…”
On Christmas Eve, the tune of the song Christmas for the children of the world who demands “let the guns be silent” comes sadly to our ears. At least we can be happy that Canada finally voted in favor of a ceasefire at the UN. As much as we must condemn the horrible attacks of Hamas, we must also denounce the indiscriminate destruction of Gaza by Israel. Timid until now, Ottawa must be bold to regain the voice it already had in the past on the international scene.
And you ?
And you, dear readers, what gift would you like to receive from elected officials? Between a glass of bubbles and a bite of tourtière, write to us! On this, in the name of The Presswe wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas.