Who says end of parliamentary session, says distribution of notes and evaluation of the performance of those who lead us.
The government may be first in voting intentions according to the latest polls, but we still feel that the very long honeymoon with voters is coming to an end. The voter has a selective memory: he is insulted by the decline on the third link, but has quickly forgotten the promise of a tax cut announced barely a few months ago.
It must be said that it is not easy to swallow bad news when you drag, within your team, balls like Éric Caire who have the gift of putting their feet in their mouths and harming the government’s message. Let’s say that it is not all the members of the council of ministers who shine by their ability to express themselves like Geneviève Guilbault and Christian Dubé. We need only remember Bernard Drainville’s unfortunate statement on teachers’ salaries.
François Legault is still lucky to have several talents on his team: Eric Girard, François Bonnardel and Sonia LeBel. They are quiet forces that don’t make waves, but deliver the goods. They are discreet, but effective.
There is also Simon Jolin-Barrette who has become much less partisan and brittle than during the previous mandate. He has adopted a more constructive posture and it must be said that it suits him better. As Minister of Justice, he tabled several important bills and had them passed. This does not necessarily make daily headlines, but these pieces of legislation actively contribute to making the justice system more agile, more accessible and more modern.
In terms of health and education, it is unfortunate that the government waited until the second term to carry out structural reforms. They do not necessarily contribute directly to improving the accessibility or quality of services, but are necessary as a first step. This is why these reforms should have been carried out in previous years and save us precious time so that we can perceive the promised changes. But hey, better late than never.
This parliamentary session was still difficult for the government, which had to manage major political crises: SAAQ, third link, Roxham road, health transfers, etc. If Quebecers continue to support the current government, it is not so much because of its performance in recent months as in the face of relatively weak and poorly organized opposition.