Contrary to tradition, Prime Minister François Legault turned to social networks to take stock of the short parliamentary session without answering questions from journalists on Friday, a lack of “accountability”, lamented the opposition.
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As at the end of each session, the leaders of the various opposition parties presented their results to the parliamentary press on Friday morning.
The CAQ leader, for his part, preferred to do the same before leaving Parliament for the holiday break.
Questioned in the corridors of the National Assembly before the last question period of the year in the Blue Room, the Prime Minister minimized the scope of the affair, dropping that the deputies of the new legislature sat for only two weeks since the election.
“Listen, a two-week session… Then essentially, we put money back in the pockets of Quebecers, we capped the rates, so that’s it, the two-week session,” said he limited to say.
Accountability
“Where is the accountability,” raised the parliamentary leader of Quebec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, after learning that the head of government did not plan any presentation of results to journalists, nor scrum.
“As a former journalist, I am outraged by François Legault’s decision to do like the Conservative Party of Canada to bypass the media,” added the supportive MP for Rosemont, Vincent Marissal.
Remember that in Ottawa, Pierre Poilievre has shunned the parliamentary press since he took control of the Conservative Party of Canada (PCC).
“What we see today is the reverse of accountability,” continued Mr. Marissal. By refusing to answer journalists’ questions, the CAQ is choosing to move away from transparency. »
All of this comes at a time when traditional media is going through a major crisis, both in terms of trust and advertising revenue.
“This decision is all the more deplorable since we learn today that The Journal of Montreal and The Journal of Quebec will stop printing their Sunday paper editions, observed the deputy for Rosemont. We talk a lot about the crisis in the media and we have a responsibility, as parliamentarians, to consider journalists and their work at their true value.”
“The Parti Québécois denounces François Legault’s decision not to hold a press briefing at the end of the session and not to answer any questions from journalists as is usual. Accountability is essential in a democracy”, reacted in turn the PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.
“Asking for a strong mandate. Elect 90 deputies. Refuse to correct the historical distortions of the voting system. Do political communication. Refuse to be accountable to the parliamentary press,” also denounced the PQ MP for the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Joël Arseneau.
His colleague from Matane–Matapédia, Pascal Bérubé, pointed out that this is a “first in the National Assembly”.
Big Challenges
François Legault has become a little more talkative on social networks. In a publication entitled “our report at the end of the parliamentary session”, the CAQ leader recalled that “Quebec’s challenges are great”, repeating the five themes of his election campaign: education, health, environment, economy and protection of the French language.
“When I asked you to renew your confidence in me at the last election, it was mainly to meet these major challenges for our nation,” said the Prime Minister.
“We are moving forward,” he summed up. “I tell you up front, I want to keep my promises, and I want to deliver them quickly,” said Mr. Legault. I know I’m going to be criticized and that’s normal. I am not stubborn and I listen. Constructive criticism can help us improve, and learn from our mistakes. But be certain that I will always remain faithful to the objectives for which you have placed your trust in me.”