Mid-term of the CAQ | Promises kept or broken?

The Legault government is halfway through its second mandate. Is he keeping the promises he made during the 2022 election campaign? Here is an assessment of the achievement of its commitments so far.

24% fully realized

At mid-term, the Legault government fully achieved 24% of its promises and 24% partially, estimate experts from Polimétrie at Laval University, who monitor electoral commitments. A third of its promises (34%) are being implemented, while 14% are pending. The Caquists have broken 4% of their commitments. The Polimeter counted 150 promises made by the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) during the 2022 electoral campaign. This is a significant drop compared to 2018, when the CAQ announced 251 commitments, according to it.

Promises fulfilled

The government lowered taxes as promised. It reduced the first two tax brackets by one percentage point. It also increased the maximum amount of the refundable tax credit for support for seniors from $411 to $2,000 per year.

Quebec has capped the increase in government rates at 3% per year.

As the CAQ had committed to doing, Hydro-Québec launched studies to carry out a new hydroelectric project – a dam on the Petit Mécatina River (Côte-Nord). The government has initiated discussions with the Innu in the hope of obtaining their blessing.

Promises partially fulfilled

The CAQ promised to grant an additional $2 billion over four years for school renovations. The government has allocated additional sums for this purpose, but not at the level promised so far during the targeted period.

Quebec has indeed announced the creation of a Blue Fund to protect water, but its budget amounts to 500 million and not 650 million.

The CAQ government added part of the additional $1.8 billion promised to build social and affordable housing – we exclude here the additional money coming from Ottawa.

Promises being fulfilled

The CAQ has undertaken a review of French teaching programs in schools.

Home hospitalization projects have been launched.

Santé Québec should be in operation from 1^er December, with the integration of establishments within this new agency.

Unfinished promises

In addition to the tax cut implemented at the start of the mandate, the CAQ promised an annual reduction of 0.25% in tax brackets starting in 2026. There has been no signal in this direction so far .

The “simple and effective” app to access key government services is still in its infancy, and it falls far short of the commitment at the moment. The first major project, SAAQclic, turned into a disaster.

The CAQ is committed to obtaining more autonomy and more powers for Quebec in relation to Ottawa. The Trudeau government has instead encroached on areas of Quebec’s jurisdiction with various programs and refused to give more powers to Quebec in immigration – a priority request from François Legault.

Broken promises

François Legault is committed to creating a new network of regional museums on the theme of “Quebec pride”. This “Blue Spaces” project was finally buried.

After guaranteeing during the campaign the granting of financial assistance for the purchase of an electric vehicle, the government announced a gradual reduction in the discounts provided for in the Roulez vert program. There will be no more discounts from 1^er January 2027.

François Legault promised to accelerate planning work for the third Quebec-Lévis highway link. He abandoned this promise in April 2023 only to resurrect it in October of the same year, after his scathing defeat in Jean-Talon in Quebec. However, we are no longer talking about a tunnel, but about a bridge to the east, so much so that the Polimeter concludes that the project seems to be starting from scratch.