Trumpeting that he will not let François Legault “buy the election”, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is betting on the national question and an environmental plan that will force manufacturers to sell 50% of electric vehicles by 2025.
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In an interview with our Parliamentary Office, the PQ leader cites three themes related to the future that he intends to hammer home in the election campaign: the national question, language and the environment.
In the offices of the Parti Québécois now located above the Village des Valeurs, rue Ontario in Montreal, St-Pierre Plamondon insists on the determining nature of this election.
Polarization
According to him, the CAQ calls for resignation on these issues. He says he is discouraged by “the avalanche of publicity from the CAQ” and “what we see online from certain parties who are betting on polarization”.
He will later refuse to comment directly on the attitude of the conservative Éric Duhaime, but accuses the party of François Legault of feeding cynicism with its promotional campaign.
“The disproportionate space occupied by the CAQ, combined with the insignificance of what it says, is fascinating. Faced with this, we have the responsibility to embody hope and righteousness, ”he says.
It should be noted that the PQ are the only ones to have resorted for the moment to a negative publicity campaign against François Legault, in this pre-election period. PSPP was thrilled and wanted to show us the television message.
The PQ at the lowest in the polls, who seemed exhausted at the end of the last parliamentary session, has the easy smile of the type returning from vacation.
Highlighting the 43% participation rate in the recent Ontario election, St-Pierre Plamondon urges the population not to accept “half measures” from the Legault government.
Cost of life
The PQ will not propose tax cuts, unlike the caquistes, liberals and conservatives, but will not let down “families who are having difficulty making ends meet”.
Thus, the leader of the sovereignist party will present more targeted measures, which will be detailed later, and will come back to his idea of capping the price of gasoline, the feasibility of which has already been debated.
“The Legault and Trudeau governments have contributed to accelerating inflation by printing checks and accelerating the economy. We will not let the CAQ prevent us from talking about the future, ”he asserts.
Quota to car manufacturers
In the environment, the Parti Québécois considers the low proportion of electric vehicle sales in Quebec (currently at 13%) and the little pressure exerted by the Legault government to be ridiculous.
Following the model of European countries, it would impose a quota on manufacturers so that the percentage of sales increases to 25% by 2023, then to 50% in 2025, before ultimately reaching a completely electric fleet.
For comparison, the current government has set a target of 25% in 2025.
“We are going to start by taking our responsibilities and giving options to Quebecers so that they can dump the oil companies, these multinationals which do not enrich us, which rob us at the pump and which are irresponsible in terms of the environment. »
At the last party convention, MP Sylvain Gaudreault argued that the PQ would impose a surcharge on large cars, but nothing seems less certain.
The PSPP leader argues that we must first offer options to Quebecers before hitting them.
“We can’t say to motorists: you have no options, we don’t give you any, but it’s your fault, pay, and I’ll moralize you. I treat you, because of my virtue, like the problem, ”he concludes, refusing to reveal his game.
WHAT HE SAID ABOUT…
WHAT RENÉ LÉVESQUE AND JACQUES PARIZEAU WOULD SAY TO HIM, ACCORDING TO HIM:
“I often have that thought. I think they would tell me: be yourself. They would say to me: I experienced the same kind of pressure, be whole […] give the correct time. And they would say: it was not easier in my time. Supporting the cause of independence is not easy. »
THE DEMANDS OF FRANÇOIS LEGAULT IN IMMIGRATION TO OTTAWA:
“No gain, no federal collaboration. It is the continuity of the policies of the Liberal Party of Quebec, there is no difference, they even pushed the audacity to bring the threshold of immigrants to 70,000 this year. »
THE PQ ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN:
“There’s a cost to that, it doesn’t happen by magic, but the cost of not doing it is going to be a hell of a lot higher in 20 years. It takes an ambitious plan that costs money, but is absolutely necessary. »
♦ Our head of the Parliamentary Office in Quebec conducted interviews with party leaders a few days before the official launch of the election campaign. They will be published one by one by Friday. Only the leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec, François Legault, refused our invitation.