The Canadian government is spending recklessly in provincial areas of jurisdiction and is contravening the principle of federalism, argues the member of parliament and potential aspiring leader of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ), Frédéric Beauchemin, who wants the federal government’s spending power to be better regulated. This position comes at a time when the appeal of the Liberal leadership race is growing.
Ottawa “makes federal transfers conditional on the acceptance of federal priorities and not those of Quebec. The complete opposite of the winning partnership that should prevail instead. It is time to address this scourge and repair the federation,” states a press release from the MP whose The Canadian Press got copy.
The Liberal MP cites the health and housing sectors as examples. Recently, the Trudeau government put $5 billion on the table to convince the provinces to adopt some of its housing priorities, including the tenants’ bill of rights.
“It was a fairly direct invasion of a field of expertise that was ours. […] The Trudeau government is at a level of interference in provincial areas of jurisdiction that we have not seen in previous years,” said Mr. Beauchemin in an interview with The Canadian Press.
With this statement, the potential aspiring leader of the PLQ is stepping on the toes of the Coalition avenir Québec, which has continued to denounce federal interference in provincial areas of jurisdiction.
To address this problem, Frédéric Beauchemin wants to set up a Commission on Fiscal Imbalance. “We want to perpetuate a partnership that we have with the federal government so that it can work for generations to come,” explains the MP.
A similar exercise was held in the early 2000s with the Séguin Commission. At the time, the commission estimated that Quebec needed an additional $2 billion in the short term to meet the needs of its areas of jurisdiction. Without having calculated it precisely, Frédéric Beauchemin maintains that the province’s shortfall is even greater today.
The Liberal MP wants to avoid duplication of federal programs with those of Quebec and is asking that the province have the right to withdraw with “full compensation without having to negotiate each time.”
The race is taking shape
The Marguerite-Bourgeoys MP’s outburst against Ottawa comes two days after several media outlets reported that federal Liberal minister Pablo Rodriguez was also considering running to succeed Dominique Anglade. “I think it’s fantastic. There are more and more participants who want to take part in the debate,” says Frédéric Beauchemin.
The latter is still officially being considered for the Liberal leadership, but he should make his launch announcement by the end of the summer.
Mr. Beauchemin wants to position himself as the candidate of budgetary rigour and better management of public finances. He has also received the support of former Quebec Finance Minister Carlos Leitão.
Last June, former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre became the first candidate to officially enter the race.
Charles Milliard — another candidate expected to run for the leadership of the PLQ — recently announced that he was leaving his position as president and CEO of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec to take a moment to reflect.
The mayor of Victoriaville, Antoine Tardif, is also being asked to get involved. He has not ruled out getting involved.
The race will begin in January 2025. Dominique Anglade’s successor will be chosen in the summer of that same year.
The next leader of the PLQ will have a lot to do to rebuild his party. His support rate among francophones is starving.