These are called “objective allies”.
Despite appearances, Caquists like solidarity. The Left Party is their useful enemy.
During the congress of Quebec solidaire (QS), at the end of the week, the Caquistes tore their shirts while retaining a small shiver of happiness. What, do you really want to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 55% by 2030? But… but… it’s irresponsible, so please continue!
The Coalition d’avenir Québec (CAQ) and QS share the same goal: to replace the old parties. They dream of eliminating the PQ and marginalizing the Liberals.
The solidarity groups have not increased their support since the last elections. They have fewer seats and less voting intentions than the Liberals. But the Caquists treat them as their main opponent, for three reasons.
Because it is with them that their disagreement is greatest. Because it overshadows the Liberals and the PQ. And finally, because they dream of campaigning against them.
To defeat the PQ, the Liberals confined themselves to repeating a scarecrow: “referendum”. The Caquists would like to reproduce this strategy against solidarity by shouting another “r” word: “radical!” “.
This context helps to understand the QS congress.
Members adopted their new program. The commitments will be specified later in the electoral platform.
The party is somewhere between its adolescent crisis and its maturity. He tries to confront his ideas with the test of reality without sacrificing his principles.
The party has a rich militant life. There are real debates of ideas there. It also attracts artists of the new generation – Klô Pelgag, winner of the last ADISQ gala, sang at the congress. This can only make the Parti Québécois nostalgic …
But QS is also attacked from within by factions. His Decolonial Anti-Racist Collective was accused a few months ago of creating a “toxic” climate. And its International Marxist Trend Collective on Saturday denounced support for the law protecting healthcare workers against anti-vaccine protesters.
At the congress, activists proposed to establish a “managed economy” and to nationalize all natural resources, even if they had little concrete experience in the risky management of mining companies …
The solidarity deputies, who are exposed in the National Assembly to the puzzle of state management, understand that the revolution would not be so easy to operate or sell to voters. This is how we saw Ruba Ghazal and Manon Massé convince their members to limit the nationalization of resources to wind and solar power, in which Hydro-Québec is already involved.
Another change is that QS is no longer committed to making the university free within five years. The objective is now to reduce these rights, in order to eliminate them indefinitely.
The party leadership seeks the delicate balance between what satisfies its activists and what might appeal to the rest of the population.
QS learned from the CAQ.
In 2012 and 2014, François Legault was scattered in a rainbow program with a confused identity. After those defeats, he repainted his logo in nationalist blue and focused his speech on a limited number of flagship promises.
The new QS program is significantly shorter. And more concrete too.
Solidarity people talk about work-family reconciliation. They promise a 35-hour work week, with one month off per year. It will be of interest to everyone, including less politicized people.
The party also adjusts its color: to Caquist blue, it will oppose its green. The climate becomes his top priority.
According to the proposal submitted to Congress, GHGs should be reduced by at least 45% by 2030, compared to the 1990 level. This is more than the 37.5% currently promised.
It didn’t go as planned.
Members voted against. They wanted that target to be 65% 1. Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois maneuvered urgently to get a compromise adopted: 55%.
Reaching that target will be very, very difficult, however. This is the equivalent of taking all gasoline vehicles off the road and eliminating all emissions from agriculture. In just eight years.
Read Quebec’s GHG inventory
That said, the CAQ exaggerates in its moderation. When it comes to eco-taxation, his courage disappears. And she has yet to find half of the cuts required to hit her target.
QS for its part promises to give details in its electoral platform.
The challenge will be all the greater as Quebec starts from afar. In 2018, its GHGs were 6% below the 1990 level. The federal government, which does its own calculation, estimates the drop at only 3%. The effort required will therefore be enormous.
At the moment, I don’t see how QS would get there. For example, the party wants to reduce public transport fares by 50%, then move towards free. However, these services are already underfunded. Impoverishing them further will not convince people to give up their cars.
Overall, the program predicts more increases in expenses than revenues.
QS seeks to get rid of its caricature of a third party content to defend the widow and the orphan. Instead of embodying the conscience of Parliament, Mr. Nadeau-Dubois wants to show himself “ready to govern”. But there is a step in between.
It is that of a party which begins to formulate proposals which, without being applicable as a whole, can inspire the government. Who can act as the official opposition.
Of course, the Liberals are easily ahead of the Solidarity thanks to the Anglophone and Allophone vote. There is no trend to believe this will change. But the CAQ will be happy to help QS reduce this gap by presenting it as its real opponent.
At the very least, we can already conclude this: the young parties are indeed on the rise.
1 This corresponds to Quebec’s “fair share” in the global effort according to the Climate Action Network.
Consult the report “Quebec’s fair share in the fight against climate change”