Lower taxes, private health care, minimum wage; the Centrale des unions du Québec (CSQ) is skeptical of the electoral promises that were unveiled during the first week of the campaign.
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The opening of the door to private health, put forward with the proposal of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) to create two private hospitals – but financed by the public – in Montreal and Quebec particularly intrigues the president of the CSQ .
“It brings up a lot of questions. For several months, we have had discussions with the government. We talked about reform, about refounding the health system,” said Éric Gingras, taking stock of the first week of the campaign in an interview with LCN on Sunday.
“How are we going to find the world? Are we going to pay them more and end up with a two-tier system, ”continued Mr. Gingras, who considers it necessary to ask questions about this project.
The parties also competed to promise, all in their own way, to reduce the tax burden of Quebecers, another idea that worries the CSQ.
Mr. Gingras is not against the idea that more money stays in taxpayers’ pockets.
“If we want to take care of the public services that have been undermined, and we have seen it, the population wants to have good public services, you have to have money. It will take a balance, ”warned the president of the CSQ.
The increase in the minimum wage, which the Parti Québécois has proposed to raise to $18 an hour – thus joining Québec solidaire on this issue – also leaves the union unsatisfied.
“It is an element that is important to bring it to $18, even as $18 was before seeing all these elements in terms of inflation, in particular,” pleaded Mr. Gingras.
The latter, however, was enthusiastic to hear the leader of the PQ, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, talk about pay equity on Sunday morning, promising to strengthen the law.
“The male female salary, to really add teeth to this law. It’s been 25 years and fairness has still not been achieved. […] In 2022, we should not even ask ourselves these questions anymore, ”he lamented.