(Lebel-Sur-Quévillon) CAQ leader François Legault does not rule out anything to repatriate federal powers in immigration, but he says he has no plan.
Posted at 4:25 p.m.
Updated at 4:35 p.m.
In a press scrum Saturday in Chibougamau, he said he was open to the means, if he forms the government again on Monday.
It could be a sectoral referendum, an idea he had floated before.
Currently, immigration is a jurisdiction shared between Quebec and Ottawa. A popular consultation would consist in asking voters to support his approach aimed at having Quebec control more of its immigration.
“It’s not in the plans, but I’m open. So there’s no plan to do this in six months. Being open means it’s not excluded, but there’s no plan, no planned sequence. »
These hypothetical referendums will not happen, retorts the leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ), Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. “I don’t think anyone thinks such an exercise will take place. I think that overall, we just have to say no to the federalism of François Legault and all the nonsense he can try to find, not to name the only solution, which is the independence of Quebec. »
If Mr. Legault wants to venture on this path, as well multiply the referendums, ironically the leader of the PQ. “If we followed his logic, we would have to take the list of 21 refusals from Ottawa and hold a referendum on each of them. So, a referendum on the 6 billion missing in health, a referendum on the powers in culture that have not been given, a referendum on the single tax report, a referendum on the power at our borders. »
The CAQ government wants to control the flow of temporary foreign workers as well as family reunification.
Mr. Legault has already said that welcoming more than 50,000 immigrants a year would be suicidal for Quebec.
No later than Friday, the head of the CAQ relied on Ottawa to provide him with the exact figures concerning the category of temporary immigration present in Quebec.
The number of temporary immigrants was estimated at 177,000 in June by the outgoing Minister of Immigration, Jean Boulet, but they would rather be around 280,000, revealed Radio-Canada.
“It’s a federal responsibility, it’s up to him to provide us with the figures,” said Mr. Legault, referring to the situation at Roxham Road, in Montérégie, where asylum seekers enter Canada irregularly from the States. -United.
“We know that 25,000, 30,000 come in via Roxham Road. You have to be able to say: how do you manage to have better control? »
He pointed out that this was a federal matter and that he was going to have discussions with Ottawa on these temporary immigrants.
“When it’s time to make them permanent immigrants, the Government of Quebec must have its say. »
The temporary immigration category includes foreign students, temporary foreign workers, asylum seekers, as well as their spouses and children.
In terms of permanent immigration, the CAQ wants to maintain a threshold of no more than 50,000 newcomers per year. Québec solidaire proposes a threshold of 60,000 to 80,000 per year, the Liberal Party 70,000, while the Parti Québécois advocates a number of 35,000.
Under an agreement, Quebec controls the volume of entry of its future permanent residents, economic immigrants, their integration and francization.
The federal government deals with refugees, family reunification and citizenship issues.