Prime Minister François Legault received a balm from his activists, who gave him 98.6% support on Sunday after a vote of confidence that comes after difficult weeks marked by an about-face on the project of the Quebec-Lévis highway tunnel and a rise in the Parti Québécois (PQ) in the polls.
By closing a convention of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) which brought together hundreds of delegates for two days, Mr. Legault himself confided his astonishment at this result “at an unexpected level”, which he receives as an appreciation government work.
“I didn’t think I would have a score like that,” he said in a press briefing. Honestly, I was surprised at how high the score was. »
In 2014, during a similar exercise, François Legault obtained 97.2%. The CAQ leader topped his PQ opponent Paul St-Pierre Plamondon by one decimal, who in March received the support of 98.5% of his activists.
Mr. Legault welcomed his result as proof that CAQ activists are pragmatic in the face of government decisions, as in the case of the third link, which in April became a public transport project where automobile traffic will be prohibited.
“That’s what I did during the pandemic, I didn’t insist on defending the indefensible,” he said. When the situation evolves, the solutions must also evolve. »
Agree activists
On the floor of the congress and in the corridors of the center of fairs where he stood, Mr. Legault did not suffer any reproach from the activists he met.
“The activists who spoke to me about it was to tell me that they were in agreement,” he said.
The CAQ chief obtained this result despite a controversy that erupted on Friday, concerning the decision of the Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, to appoint a personal friend to a post of judge at the Court of Quebec.
In his closing speech, Mr. Legault repeated the credo of his party, which promotes the economy and defends the Quebec nation. The CAQ leader reserved his most felt salvos for his opponents from the PQ, whose upward trend was confirmed in a poll that followed the about-face on the third link.
“The problem with the PQ is that they are betting everything on the Grand Soir de la Souveraineté,” he said.
The CAQ can act on secularism and for the protection of French, unlike the PQ, which is hampered by its sovereignist option, he pleaded.
“To be in government, you have to bring together enough people, enough nationalists,” he said. That’s the CAQ: the largest gathering of nationalists in Quebec. »
To journalists, Mr. Legault then pointed out that the PQ only managed to elect a minority government in 2012. “Are they credible in improving the situation of the Quebec nation in Canada? That’s the question,” he said.
Energy
After campaigning on the revival of the construction of hydroelectric dams, Mr. Legault developed the subject of energy efficiency in his closing speech.
“We must launch a major energy efficiency project in Quebec. This is the most economical way to get more electricity. »
Mr. Legault then clarified his thoughts regarding the implementation of pricing that would encourage electricity consumption outside of peak periods thanks to lower rates.
“The incentive will be a drop in periods when there is more electricity available,” he said.
For the second time in four months, Mr. Legault restrained the ardor of his Minister of Economy and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, who did not rule out legislating on the issue this fall, to allow subscribers who wish to start their dishwasher at night at advantageous rates.
“We’ll see when we’re ready,” he said. I don’t want to commit to a date. »
In January, Mr. Legault had already said that he was not considering this option “in the short term”.
Earlier, Mr. Fitzgibbon said that a reduction in tariffs could be done at zero cost thanks to the savings that this would allow on the purchase of energy during peak periods.
“Hydro-Québec, in the peaks, pays very dearly,” he said, specifying that a tariff review could require changes to the role of the Régie de l’énergie.