Posted at 9:00 a.m.
As you promise tax cuts, do you think that the Quebec government has too many resources to fulfill its three main mandates: health, education and security?
Jean Masson, Saint-Bruno
Dominique Anglade: It’s not that there are too many resources, it’s that the state has a dual responsibility. We are still in an inflation crisis which is very difficult today, and I think we are capable of doing both. We lower taxes, but we increase revenues elsewhere, we get them where possible. I believe in the balance of the two. Some say we shouldn’t touch taxes, but we need to return the money so that everyone can cope with the music and live.
How can you still make the utopian promise of a family doctor for every citizen?
Alain Dupuis
Dominique Anglade: It does not enter my mind that in Quebec, we have 1 million people who do not have access to a family doctor and that we are told: it is not possible, we have tried everything, we will not be able, so we let it be. It is not true that we have tried everything! Between 2014 and 2018, we had 1 million more Quebecers taken care of by a family doctor. A million ! So we’ve already done that. In 2018, there were 400,000 people who did not have a family doctor. The waiting list has grown to 1 million. We have people with chronic illnesses, we have an aging population, half of seniors live with a chronic illness, we have major mental health issues… We need support.
Now, how to get there? Recognize the labor shortage. Train more doctors and nurses. Recognition of diplomas. Better distribution of doctors on the territory. Consider that the specific medical activities that family physicians must do can be done in the clinic, which will bring more general practitioners back to the clinic level. And start with patients who have chronic illnesses and mental health issues.
What are you going to do to improve public transit and reduce the number of cars (mostly single-driver) on our roads?
Lynda Thivierge
Dominique Anglade: One of the measures we are putting forward is free public transit for students and our seniors. Within the charter of the regions, we want to improve interregional transportation, but also in the regions themselves. If I take Laval, for example, it means improving transportation from east to west. We want to support projects launched by towns and cities. The Eastern REM is an example, but also the tramway in Quebec – it is currently east-west, we also want to do it north-south as far as Lévis. And we are going to have studies, us, to be able to say which route to take!
Are the municipalities of Quebec ready to face weather conditions like those experienced in Europe during the summer?
Paul Vaillancourt
Dominique Anglade: The answer is no, and that’s why they asked for 2 billion for adaptation to climate change. They are right. Much is being asked of our municipalities and they do not have the necessary means. Our game plan is to review taxation with the municipalities and to include the whole issue of infrastructure in that. The problem is that we still do things the same way – the same materials, the same way of building. We should think about it. Every time you do a route, you should ask yourself what it is best suited for. The small bridge that we are building, can we raise it higher because the flood is greater? Can we think differently?
What is the greatest achievement that has moved Quebec forward?
Colette Fecteau, Saint-Severin, Beauce-Centre
Dominique Anglade: The advancement of women – and we can include CPEs in that. I would be remiss if I did not also include the whole question of our hydroelectricity, which has been a major pillar of our economic and social development.
Interview by Philippe Mercure
Note: for the sake of clarity, the questions and answers have sometimes been condensed.