(Quebec) François Legault sees good in sovereignty. In response to Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, the Prime Minister affirmed Thursday at the Salon Bleu that the independence of Quebec is “a noble project” to “defend identity”, but disadvantageous on “the financial level”.
“I will first remind you that the sovereignty of Quebec is a noble project, and I accept that,” said Mr. Legault when the PQ leader questioned him on the increase in the weight of the public service Canadian.
The Press reported Thursday that nearly 110,000 civil servants have been added to the workforce of departments and agencies since Justin Trudeau’s Liberals came to power in 2015, an increase of 42%.
“The Prime Minister has made his career on the importance of putting an end to waste. Can he recognize that Quebec does not get value for money in Canada? », asked the PQ leader.
“I want to tell him kindly, without questioning the nobility of the Quebec sovereignty project that currently […] Quebec receives 10 billion more than what Quebecers send to Ottawa,” replied the Prime Minister.
“In his famous budget of year 1, the leader of the PQ said: “We are going to erase everything with duplication”. There’s no one who believes that. Yes, sovereignty to defend our identity, but to go into the financial field and say that Quebec has no money, I would be a little embarrassed,” he added.
This is not the first time that Mr. Legault has affirmed that the independence project is “noble”. However, in recent weeks, the Prime Minister has instead accused the PQ leader of “waiting for the big night” while his government takes action.
The Parti Québécois has consolidated its lead in voting intentions in recent months, even entering a majority zone. Polls show a movement of the CAQ vote towards the PQ.
Jean-François Roberge also indicated on Thursday that sovereignty is a “noble project”.
“It’s one of the options that Quebecers have. What I consider is that the path of the Coalition Avenir Québec, which we call the third way, is the path that wins, it is the path that allows us to make gains at the moment. Particularly with our action plan and the powers that we will obtain from Ottawa,” expressed the Minister responsible for the French Language and Canadian Relations.
“Like staying in Canada, it is also a noble project. It’s not about attacking people’s beliefs, it’s about respecting them. We have a position that is clear,” he added.