The political parties that are currently fighting in Quebec have chosen slogans that aim to position them on the chessboard and to summarize their philosophy.
Posted at 12:00 p.m.
For the Coalition avenir Québec, it’s “Let’s continue”. For the Liberal Party of Quebec, it’s “Vote true”. Québec solidaire invites us to change eras. The Parti Québécois speaks of a Quebec that assumes responsibility and the Conservative Party of Quebec is betting on the theme “Libres chez nous”! Are they the true reflection of the programs or are they simple artifices of public communication? Regardless, I had fun inverting the slogans, without wanting to deny the desire of each party to give the Quebec state its own direction. Here is the result.
The Parti Québécois: “Free at home! »
The theme of Quebec independence, which reminds me of the slogan “Libres chez nous! », is making a strong comeback in Quebec. PQ activists are gradually returning to the fold. Perhaps we will even be entitled, by the end of the campaign, to major rallies on the side of the Parti Québécois (PQ). Unless, of course, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s remarks about the flags at half mast in Quebec, on the occasion of the Queen’s death, harm him in terms of credibility. Perhaps not among the convinced sovereignists in his party, but elsewhere in the potential gains he must seek.
Be that as it may, the fact that the PQ will not form the next government in Quebec could help it in terms of electoral performance, because many Quebecers do not want another referendum to be held – which could always happen if the PQ hypothetically took power – but they don’t want the PQ to disappear either.
After all, this party was a real springboard for asserting Quebec’s identity. Its existence in itself sends a message to Ottawa and to the “rest of Canada” that Quebec should not be taken for granted within Canadian federalism and that the Quebec nation has the right to freely choose its future.
The Liberal Party of Quebec: “Let’s continue”
The Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) has written many pages of history over the years. This party is firmly rooted in the Quebec political landscape. He is associated with the economic growth of Quebec, although the theme of “budgetary austerity” still too often sticks to his skin. The PLQ is women’s right to vote, the Quiet Revolution, health insurance, the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, hydroelectric dams, the Generations Fund, the Council of the Federation, the Plan Nord , etc. The PLQ represents stability and, dare I say, historical continuity. It represents durability, persistence over time and opinions. It is in this sense that I find that the slogan “Let’s continue” fits him like a glove.
In Quebec itself, the Liberal vote has always been underestimated. The “equilibrist” side of the PLQ and its sense of weighting appeal to a number of voters, who are however too discreet.
The Conservative Party of Quebec: “The Quebec that assumes itself”
Whatever one may think of the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ), one cannot doubt the sincerity of the convictions that drive it. This party makes no secret of its support among conspirators, its populism in certain respects and its popularity with discontented people of all stripes. Éric Duhaime is right to say that he wants to bring discontent into the National Assembly. Indeed, it is important that the voice of its activists and voters be heard in the Quebec Parliament and that it thus find democratic means of expressing itself. On the one hand, one cannot want the National Assembly to be the forum for the various political points of view expressed in society and, on the other, deny the right of supporters of the Conservative Party to hold one or seats. I would add a nuance however, and it is significant. With Bill 96, I believe that Quebec assumes its deep identity. So why would the PCQ, which presumably assumes responsibility in many respects, want it to be repealed?
Québec solidaire: “Vote true”
Québec solidaire (QS) wishes to change the political paradigm in Québec, by advocating a shift more to the left of Québec society. By emphasizing the environment, and more specifically the fight against climate change – as it has been doing for years – this party is demonstrating an acute social conscience and correctness in its beliefs. It is not surprising that tax reform is also in his plans, since equity in society – that is to say the reduction of social inequalities – is one of the values that are dear to him. and which he defends with a veracity which honors him. If some consider that supporting these proposals is “voting for the truth”, the question nevertheless arises as to why QS does not speak out more about the conditions of living together in Quebec and does not let us know how it could, better than the other parties, consolidate cohesion within Quebec society. It should also review its definition of the “super rich”, which is far too broad at the moment.
The Coalition avenir Québec: “Changing eras”
The CAQ is currently in the saddle. This party nevertheless gives us the impression, at times, of wanting us to forget its failures, its failures: overcrowding in emergency rooms, waiting lists in CHSLDs, waiting for home care, lack of places in day care centers, development bumpy territory for the benefit of mining projects, profusion of decrees in the management of the pandemic, etc. In the absence of a change of era, it is perhaps to a change of air that he would prefer to invite the voter, especially in this period when the pandemic requires less attention.
The creation of the CAQ in 2011 and its seizure of power in 2018 marked in themselves an important change of era in Quebec, since they put an end to the federalist-independence rivalry as well as to the successive reigns of the PQ. and the PLQ. The CAQ has led to a real realignment of political forces in Quebec, a game changer.
The CAQ era, in which we have been living since 2018, feeds in particular on a well-felt nationalism. Make no mistake, however: the CAQ does not constitute a third way between federalism and sovereignty. Rather, it marks a trend, within Canadian federalism, towards the sustained expression of the Quebec identity… derogatory provisions in support.