To defend the salary increase for deputies, François Legault affirms that it is sometimes necessary to make difficult decisions, but important for society, as was the case during the pandemic.
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“In the pandemic, if I had listened to certain groups from Quebec, I would not have put restrictions, I would not have asked for vaccination, wearing a mask in public places. So at some point, you also have to make decisions that are important for society, ”he pleaded on Tuesday, in a press scrum at the National Assembly.
A survey conducted by the firm Léger at the request of Québec solidaire reveals that three out of four Quebecers are against the minimum increase of $30,000 in the salaries of MNAs.
Nevertheless, the Prime Minister defends the 30% increase in the remuneration of elected officials, currently under study in a parliamentary committee. According to him, a more competitive salary will attract the “best”, as is the case with the mandarins of the state.
“If I ask Quebecers: do you agree with the salaries of senior civil servants? Perhaps the answer will be no, but my responsibility is to have competent senior officials to work for the future of Quebec. I also have a responsibility to govern for the good of Quebecers, not according to the mood of the polls,” he insisted.
He took care to recall that his government has raised the salaries of teachers, beneficiary attendants and daycare educators. “You have to value the role of deputies and sometimes you have to catch up.”
File photo, Stevens LeBlanc
QS accused of ‘populism’
The CAQ also accuses the deputies of Québec solidaire of pouring into populism by opposing the improvement of the working conditions of elected officials.
The parliamentary obstruction of the Solidarity, who use as much time as possible to try to slow down the progress of the bill, disturbs in particular the Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette. He criticizes the troops of Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois for trying to score “partisan political points”.
Solidarity will not all refuse their increase
As part of their parliamentary deadlock, the Solidaires tabled amendments so that the increase be limited to $20,000. A strategy that makes the CAQs and the Liberals say that the QS deputies also want an increase in their salary.
Hounded by journalists on this subject, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois assured that it is only a way of “reducing” the increase, since the CAQ bill will inevitably be adopted, the government being in the majority and determined to apply it by the summer. QS opposes elected officials voting for themselves a salary increase, he insisted.
The supportive parliamentary leader also had to admit that not all the deputies of his political party will pay their entire salary increase to community organizations, if Quebec goes ahead with a 30% increase. There will be no party line on this and it will be a personal decision.