The election campaign has not yet started, but it’s just like. On Wednesday, the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) unveiled a second electoral health commitment, while the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) invited the media to the launch of its campaign on Sunday.
The Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, unveiled on Wednesday a first electoral commitment in health: the creation of a health agency. The ad was definitely partisan. Mr. Dubé was accompanied by two new CAQ candidates and refused to answer questions about air quality, saying he wanted to stick to a partisan announcement.
The CAQ is not making its first announcements. On Friday, François Legault promised the construction of 11,000 affordable housing units if elected. To those who pointed out to him that the electoral campaign had not yet started, he then retorted that “there was always a pre-election campaign”.
“Perhaps it is the quality of fixed-date elections that is lacking. We cannot say that governments take advantage of the element of surprise, everyone knows that there is an election on October 3rd. […] But indeed, we see it, and it is not only the CAQ, we are already in the pre-election campaign, ”he argued.
Nothing illegal
Under the Elections Act, the government cannot call the election until Thursday, August 25, more than a week away. Verification made with the Director General of Elections (DGE), “there is no provision in the Election Act that prevents political parties from making electoral commitments before the start of the campaign. »
On the other hand, advertisements must be paid for from the party’s budget, not from the government. In addition, parties cannot be reimbursed for their election expenses before the triggering.
On Wednesday, the Conservative Party of Quebec filed a complaint with the Ethics Commissioner, in which it alleges that the government financed advertisements on François Legault’s Facebook page.
The PCQ announced Wednesday that it would hold a large rally “for the launch of the Freedom 22 campaign” in Quebec City on Sunday.
The Parti Québécois is holding the nomination of Véronique Venne, the candidate who will replace MP Véronique Hivon in Joliette, on Wednesday evening. As for the Liberal Party, it presented its candidate in the riding of Jean-Lesage on Wednesday morning. This is Charles Robert, a former close adviser to Prime Minister Philippe Couillard. Finally, elected officials from Québec Solidaire are holding two events in Québec City on the theme of air quality.