The leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ), Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, wants Télé-Québec to make more room for Quebec youth programs, but the young father will not go so far as to abolish Pat’Patrouille, which would make his two-year-old son “freak out”.
The Parti Québécois reiterated, on Saturday, a series of measures to encourage the consumption of Quebec culture. In a press briefing, the leader gave the example of Quebec youth programs, which would prioritize education instead of “stimulation for commercial purposes”. These productions would be better than foreign shows like Paw Patrol, according to him.
“When you compare to the new version of a show like Passe-Partout, quality is night and day. »
Passing through Montreal, Mr. Plamondon wants programs comparable to Pat’Patrouille, such as Robocar Poli or Super Wings, to be replaced, but he will not go so far as to replace Pat’Patrouille. “My two-year-old son is going to freak out if there’s no more Paw Patrol. […] The two and a half hour repeat of the same show, with a variation. We can do without. »
The PQ’s cultural proposals arise in a context of young people’s lack of interest in Quebec culture. The majority of Quebecers aged 18 to 34, or 58%, would consume “very little” or “not at all” of Quebec audiovisual content on online platforms, according to a survey cited by the party.
“It seems obvious that there has been a substitution of the Anglo-American cultural and mental universe to the detriment of the Quebec cultural space. And that has a lot of impact in the medium and long term on the French language. »
Mr. Plamondon reiterated the promise to create a “cultural passport” worth $100 to allow high school and college students, as well as newcomers to attend a Quebec show.
Performances by Quebec artists in English or in Indigenous languages would be eligible for the passport since they are part of the cultural production on the territory, specified the chief.
The PQ also promises to double the budget of Télé-Québec, to create a Quebec counterpart to the CRTC, to create a national museum of Quebec history and to increase funding for museums. These commitments represent an investment of $800 million over four years.
The party also reiterated its intention to impose a 3% tax on the Quebec revenues of web giants.
Advocacy for independence and the environment
After the announcement, the chief made a speech at the “Maîtres chez vous” meeting of the organization Force jeunesse. He took advantage of his visit to discuss his environmental plan and the decline of French.
He reiterated his argument that Quebec’s climate goals are incompatible with oil development in Alberta.
“Every year, we take $2 billion from our Quebec taxes and send it as gifts and subsidies to oil companies in Alberta, multinationals in tax havens. That is Ottawa’s choice. If we are serious about the issue of climate change, we must be serious about the independence of Quebec. »
Asked whether the PQ’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45% compared to 1990 by 2030 was realistic, Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon replied that his training has found the right balance.
” It’s doable. It’s demanding. Above all, it is very expensive for the State, but it costs three times less to pay for it now than to do nothing and collect the ‘bill’ in 20 years. »
On the question of the role of indigenous people in the independence project, he sent a tip to the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.
“Justin Trudeau can do all the staging he wants, shed tears, he launched, raising the laughter of the audience. It won’t change anything. The only political gesture that will allow a dialogue, a negotiation from nation to nation, accompanied by the United Nations, is the declaration of independence. »
“My commitment is already made. The day after [de l’indépendance], we recognize the Aboriginal nations as equals and we say: “We sit down. If you want to maintain the federal framework, you are guaranteed the same, but it is up to you as an autonomous nation. »