Imagine if, in the last election, a party had promised this: “Citizens, finish the job, we will pay you for doing nothing. Entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs, close your businesses, we will subsidize them. peace and love ! Society is at its wit’s end, we’re going to give it a break. Everyone will live on the arm of the government! With the On Sabbatical Party, we pull the plug! Bake bread and love yourself! »
Posted at 7:00 a.m.
Oh how any observers would have ripped this program to smithereens. Unrealistic! Utopian! Hippie! Economists would all have sworn that the state could not finance such measures and that it would run to ruin. In short, the Sabbatical Party would have been the laughing stock of the media.
Well, that’s what we experienced. It was this agenda that was ours. The state took care of everything, even Fido’s needs. During the pandemic, money was not an issue. The federal and provincial governments spent it happily. Next to them, Kim Kardashian looked like Donalda. I still haven’t figured out where all that cash came from. How is it that in February 2020, we didn’t have enough to repair our schools, and suddenly, in March 2020, billions were coming out of all sides, all sides? That said, our schools are still not repaired. It only deepens the mystery.
I was convinced that Quebec’s finances would take decades to recover from the pharaonic costs of the pandemic. Well no, it seems that things are going well, you!? We have barely tightened our masks when we can immediately loosen our belts. In economic matters, I am far from being a Gérald Fillion, but it seems obvious that when the government really needs money, it finds it.
We have always believed that the lack of bidous was responsible for all our recurring ills.
Why doesn’t everyone have a family doctor? It’s a matter of cash.
Why don’t all children have a place in daycare? It’s a matter of cash.
Why doesn’t everyone have access to housing? It’s a matter of cash.
Why are we not succeeding in reducing the waiting time in the emergency room? It’s a matter of cash.
Why are Quebec’s roads in a terrible state? It’s a matter of cash.
Why are we not succeeding in reducing violence in our streets? It’s a matter of cash.
Why is Quebec not greener? It’s a matter of cash.
It’s wrong ! It’s not a question of cash. It is a question of will and know-how. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not questioning the good faith of all the parties that have come to power. Of course, everyone wanted to settle the big issues. But there is wanting and wanting.
These problems are so gigantic that it takes an even greater will to solve them. The lack of cash is an excuse to hide the lack of determination and solutions. Any dropouts caused by lack of ambition are, in the end, much more costly. Know-how comes from wanting to do.
During the pandemic, our leaders had the adrenaline in the carpet. They were in solution mode. It worked. Not in all areas, of course. In those which seemed to them a priority, no obstacle resisted them. The question wasn’t how much, when was it? And the answer was now.
The pandemic is over, or not. In any case, things have calmed down, we hear more about nail fungus than about Omicron.
We no longer feel the sense of urgency. The end no longer justifies the means. There is only one concern left. There are eight million.
The electoral campaign begins on Sunday. I know, it looks like she started a month ago, but that was just the warm-up. Tomorrow, it goes big! All the parties are going to promise a family doctor for everyone, a place in daycare centers for all children, housing for everyone, less waiting in emergency rooms, good roads, less violence, a greener Quebec and everyone rest. None of them will succeed in all of this. Depending on which issue is most important to you, choose the party that seems most motivated to tackle it.
That’s what an election campaign is for: identifying those who share our dreams and our realities. Over the next few weeks, all parties will claim that all issues are close to their hearts. It’s impossible. They say that because they don’t want to lose a single vote. Of all the commitments they will make, only those at the very basis of their political commitment will have their full attention, if they are elected.
In short, we will mainly talk about money during the next month. It is understandable. For each promise, we will, as always, want to know how much. But what is even more important to know, for each promise, is the solidity of the one who keeps it.
Good campaign!