The watchword was given: discipline and consistency. Prime Minister Legault wants to regain control over the government message and the political agenda. Objective: focus on promising projects rather than getting lost in managing the crisis of the day.
So no more untimely outings, clumsy statements, emotional reactions and above all unnecessary exposure to the media, especially where the Prime Minister is concerned.
This is a necessary strategy for any government seeking to regain lost control. It still needs to be able to rely on coherent government actions and decisions.
Because as long as public services are deficient, both in terms of quality and accessibility, as long as infrastructure is falling into disrepair and the economy is in bad shape, the taxpayer does not want to see disciplined ministers, but ministers who solve problems.
We are told that we will return to the priorities of yesteryear: health, education, the economy, the environment and the protection of identity. So much the better, no one can be against virtue. But beyond the structural changes that have monopolized the government agenda until now, it is high time to see real changes on the ground.
The government will have to be strategic in planning and prioritizing issues in an agenda that is strewn with risky meetings: upcoming budget in a context of economic uncertainty, report from the Caisse de dépôt and placement of Quebec regarding the projects of mobility in Quebec, hiring of the new CEO of Santé Québec, housing crisis as we approach the 1er July, possible reshuffle, etc.
Moreover, ministers will be under surveillance more than ever. They will have to stand out, both through their decisions and through their communication, to establish themselves as essential in the eyes of the Prime Minister and hope at best for a promotion and at worst for a lateral change during the next reshuffle.
It is therefore under pressure that the government enters 2024. The margin for error is small, if not non-existent, and expectations are at the ceiling. Will he be able to maintain discipline and consistency during the next political-media storm?