The CAQ government of François Legault recently found the “courage” to increase the salaries of deputies of the National Assembly by some $30,000 per year, and this, unanimously and at the speed of light, moreover. It should be noted in passing that his long-time right-hand man and chief of staff, Martin Koskinen, was also entitled to a significant “catch-up” salary, an increase of some $71,000 in one year. Quite a catch-up.
But will our Prime Minister François Legault have the same courage to help the poorest and least fortunate in Quebec this spring?
Because while the remuneration of elected and non-elected members of the National Assembly increases substantially – as well as that of the big bosses and the CEOs of the largest Quebec companies, by the way – many Quebecers are struggling seriously. Wealth disparities continue to grow between the rich and the poor in Quebec. (Drop me with the wealth gap between Quebec and Ontario!)
In Greater Montreal alone, according to Centraide, at least 360,000 households are unable to meet their basic needs, or 19% of all households.
One in five households in Greater Montreal does not have “sufficient income to pay for housing and meet basic needs such as food, clothing or transportation”. It’s a lot of people.
And beware, the already critical situation is far from over. Inflation continues unabated and food prices will not fall next week. They will never return to what they were before. The purchasing power of workers and people with modest incomes is constantly decreasing. Requests for food aid have skyrocketed since last fall. Fares for public transport will increase again this year, as will the cost of rent.
These are indeed imposing and aggressive rent increases that await us from the 1er next July, if you have accommodation… No, it’s not going to be “well”. You have to live in a highly privileged silo of society to say such a thing, not in my meager neighborhood.
Strangely, the ad hoc and very targeted measures to help the poor and low-income people have disappeared. The last financial aid from the CAQ government, announced at the launch of the election campaign last August – pure coincidence, you will tell me – dates back to last December. So it’s been almost six months.
These approximately $400 to $600 received (depending on your income) have disappeared, gone up in smoke in the purchase of basic products or in the payment of rent.
The poor and very low-income people are therefore back to square one (and in the red) – there is nothing left to eat.
While the purchasing power of average and lower-class Quebecers is constantly decreasing, the tax cuts granted to the rich and the most affluent in Quebec in the last Girard budget presented last March are for their part “dynamic and recurring” every year. This means that they will continue to bear fruit year after year. These fruits, we also want to harvest them. Well, okay, just a little bite…
Will our Prime Minister François Legault find in himself this same disposition of heart and character felt for the deputies in order to help Quebecers with low and very modest incomes this spring? In the meantime, with an empty stomach, we cross our fingers.