(Quebec) If the chief caquiste François Legault refuses to debate the environment, it is because he knows nothing about it and that he is afraid, judges the parliamentary leader of Quebec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
Posted at 4:43 p.m.
Updated at 5:53 p.m.
He fired this arrow at a press briefing on Tuesday, after Mr. Legault refused to participate in a leaders’ debate on the climate crisis during the next election campaign.
The day before, the Quebec Liberal Party, Quebec Solidaire and the Parti Quebecois hadtened to accept the invitation of the “Vire au vert” collective to hold such a debate.
According to Mr. Nadeau-Dubois, Prime Minister Legault presents an “execrable” environmental record. “François Legault is not able to talk about the environment for more than five minutes,” he scoffed.
“He doesn’t know about it, it doesn’t interest him and that’s why he refuses to discuss it. […] He failed all along the line, and if he refuses to discuss it, it’s because he’s afraid to defend his failure. »
The Prime Minister later defended his choice, saying that he was going to cross swords anyway with the other leaders during the traditional debates on Radio-Canada and TVA which cover multiple subjects.
“It’s important, two debates,” he said. [M. Nadeau-Dubois] we can ask all the questions, we can debate. The rest of the time, what are we going to do? We will be on the field. »
Mr. Legault took the opportunity to praise his record. He said he was proud of the development of the blue line in Montreal, of the agreement between Hydro-Québec and New York, and of the purchase of electric buses.
“Mr. President, we are in the process of building the battery sector,” he added. Québec solidaire is against that, even if it respects European standards. […] Québec solidaire is an unrealistic party. »
Jumping into the fray, Liberal leader Dominique Anglade also deplored the Prime Minister’s refusal to participate in a substantive debate on the climate crisis.
“He is afraid to debate his environmental record because he has none. Then, above all, he has no vision with regard to the environmental question, no vision with regard to the climate crisis. He didn’t offer anything.
“He told us: ‘Basically, we do what we can, we can’t go any further.’ It is resignation in environmental matters, ”she said in a press briefing at the National Assembly.
No transpartisan forum
The CAQ government also refused on Tuesday the creation of a forum of elected officials from all parties on the environment.
Such a cross-partisan round table had however taken place for the first time last week with scientists and deputies.
This non-partisan caucus was created on the initiative of the PQ MP for Jonquière, Sylvain Gaudreault, who had long wanted a common forum for elected officials concerned about climate change.
Mr. Gaudreault tabled a motion on Tuesday proposing the formation of a parliamentary climate circle at the 43e Legislature, after the October elections.
The CAQ parliamentary leader, Simon Jolin-Barrette, refused to allow the motion to be debated.
The motion was however supported by the Liberal Party, Québec solidaire and the independent deputies.
It also included thanks to the Chief Scientist of Quebec, Rémi Quirion, to the President of the Advisory Committee on Climate Change, Alain Webster, and Alain Bourque, of the Consortium on Climatology, who had moderated the conferences presented to elected officials last week on reports from the IPCC, a UN body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Thirty elected officials from all parties, including the CAQ, took part in this meeting. Mr. Gaudreault hoped to see the birth of a “climate caucus” in the National Assembly.