In Quebec, as elsewhere, the fight against climate change is generally opposed to economic growth. We say we are doing the best we can for the environment, without jeopardizing economic growth. In reality, we never discuss the desired rate of economic growth, and it is quite obvious that maximum economic growth is what is being sought.
Quebec has had a labor shortage for several years, and this shortage was foreseeable for a long time. The Liberal and CAQ governments nevertheless continued to subsidize Quebec and foreign companies with billions of dollars a year to stimulate economic growth. This policy translates into an irresistible demand for foreign immigrant workers and temporary workers, many of whom will eventually obtain Canadian citizenship.
Premier François Legault affirms that he wishes to maintain the immigration thresholds at the current level, but this is incompatible with his priority of growing the Quebec economy and ensuring strong business growth, which also implies attraction of foreign multinationals. Even if Quebec obtained increased powers in immigration, it will not be able to prevent immigrants who have arrived in Canada from moving to Quebec to fill the vacant jobs created by its growth policy.
In fact, the government of Quebec is simply applying the same strategy of maximum growth that leads Canada to organize massive immigration and that is part of the expansionist logic of the developed countries. This logic implies the recruitment of workers from poor countries to quickly turn them into new consumer employees.
Quebec could decide to moderate its own growth by ceasing to subsidize the expansion of private companies and to compete with other states to attract investments from multinationals. It could reserve its assistance for companies that carry out strategic activities for Quebec and for innovative companies that want to develop manufacturing activities, with high labor needs, outside Quebec. Indeed, in a context where all the workforce is employed, the only way to enrich Quebecers is to promote the movement of labor from low-paying activities to activities with higher added value. .
The opposition parties who truly believe that a balance must be sought between economic growth and the environment should force the Government of Quebec to specify its growth target and justify each of its expenditures aimed at stimulating growth and creation jobs. More moderate growth would make it possible to reach more ambitious environmental targets, reduce the labor shortage, choose immigration thresholds, restore quality public services and curb real estate speculation. Choosing lower growth is a social project.