François Legault unveiled his new post-pandemic economic vision for Quebec on Friday, which targets Quebec purchasing, exports, innovation, labor scarcity and the green economy.
These are the five “projects” for which the Prime Minister has promised “a lot of announcements that will tumble” over the coming months. At a press conference in Shawinigan, Mr. Legault said he was “convinced” that this economic vision will make it possible to close the gap with Ontario in terms of GDP per capita. This is 13% higher than that of Quebec, he argued.
“Creating wealth is not an end in itself. But it gives the means of our ambitions. If we want to be able to invest in the environment, in our social programs, that takes resources, ”he said.
Mr. Legault mentioned that the tabling of a “mini-budget” on November 25 will give an overview of the announcements to come. He nevertheless presented certain elements that he intends to adopt to set in motion his economic vision.
In particular, he wants controlled certification to identify products made in Quebec in order to promote local purchase from Quebec consumers.
To set an example, Mr. Legault also announced the tabling of a bill so that government departments and corporations buy more from Quebec suppliers.
“The government is the largest contractor in Quebec. […] My goal is for there to be as much Quebec content as possible, ”he said, specifying the need to also respect international contract rules.
Quebec also intends to help Quebec companies in their exports. Mr. Legault reiterated that the general delegations abroad now had as a priority “to find customers in the United States, in Europe, in Asia”.
In the same vein, to promote the marketing and export of products, Mr. Legault recalled his desire to create innovation zones where colleges and universities would be more in touch with entrepreneurs. Due to the scarcity of labor, companies must also, according to him, accelerate their robotization and digitization.
To respond to the lack of personnel, the Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Solidarity, Jean Boulet, will soon be tabling an action plan, the Prime Minister said. Quebec wants to support people who will need to re-qualify in new sectors.
According to Mr. Legault, there are nearly 200,000 jobs to fill. Priority will be given to essential services and in “fields of the future” offering wages “with added value”, such as the green economy, he said.
Immigration “may be part of the solution” to the scarcity of labor, acknowledged Mr. Legault. But he estimates that Quebec has already reached its integration capacity with the reception of 50,000 newcomers on average per year.
“If we want to continue speaking in French in the next generations, there is a limit to the number of immigrants that we can return,” said the Prime Minister, reproaching that 50% of immigrants who entered Quebec under governments previous liberals did not speak French.
Green economy
In Mr. Legault’s eyes, economic growth and the fight against climate change are reconcilable. “Our vision is that we are capable and that we have to do both,” he said.
In particular, he argued that Quebec stood out for its production of clean and affordable energy with hydroelectricity.
“There are plenty of companies that want to come and invest in Quebec so that their GHG balance sheet is better. It is often manufacturing companies that offer very high salaries, ”said Mr. Legault.
Quebec would also like to take advantage of the existing expertise in the province in the electrification of transportation, such as trains and buses. The Legault government also wants to develop green hydrogen and bioenergy sectors.