In the eyes of the Legault government, opponents of its policies within civil society can be divided into two categories: activists and whiners.
Among the first, we find the opponents of the Law on the secularism of the State, the anti-vaccines, those who recognize the existence of systemic racism or the wokes. One of the Prime Minister’s advisers called environmentalists who complained that they were not consulted before COP26 as whiners, but family physicians who feel they are being asked too much could be included in the group.
Some speak of arrogance, but as the self-proclaimed father of the Quebec nation, Mr. Legault believes he knows better than anyone what is good for her. As everyone knows, a family is not a democracy, but a benevolent dictatorship.
Since he founded his own party, Mr. Legault has lost the habit of being contradicted. It is a long time since he himself fueled the protest within the PQ. Liberal activists may well be recognized for their discipline, the PLQ conventions almost seem like rat race alongside those of the CAQ.
What is more, throughout the duration of the health crisis, Mr. Legault got into the habit of governing practically without opposition. The slightest questioning, whether from other parties or the media, was interpreted as a lack of solidarity with the nation in danger. By calling a new parliamentary session, the Prime Minister indicated that the page could be turned on the pandemic, but the bad folds can be difficult to erase.
As it stands, the opposition parties are not in a position to force him to question him in any way. With less than a year to go before the next election, they already have a long way to go to at least look presentable.
Last week, Mr. Legault relished unrestrainedly the discord that has arisen within the Liberal caucus. Both Gaétan Barrette and Marie Montpetit are now out of the game. Dominique Anglade, who was already not far behind, must seriously question the team of candidates that she will manage to form. Who will want to embark on this galley? Renewing is one thing, rebuilding from scratch is another.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon must ask himself the same question. Getting himself elected will be a challenge. No one in the PQ is under any illusions. Forming the official opposition is an objective beyond its reach. Rather, it is about surviving hoping for better days.
The good performance of Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois cannot mask the difficulty QS is experiencing in continuing its momentum of three years ago. The latest Léger poll recorded a drop of 5 points compared to the 2018 election.
It is difficult to know what will remain of Eric Duhaime’s Conservative Party of Quebec when opposition to health measures no longer mobilizes. Even today, it does not seem to seriously threaten the hegemony of the CAQ in the Quebec region.
Since the opposition parties are incapable, many have no choice but to turn to Ottawa to counterbalance the Legault government. Even those who want greater autonomy for Quebec are worried about the use that the CAQ could make of it.
Although health is an area of exclusive provincial jurisdiction, the Canada Health Act has long been seen as a necessary bulwark against the advancement of “two-tier medicine”. The desperate inability of successive governments to prevent the degradation of the health care network, which accelerated further during the pandemic, has come to make Ottawa’s imposition of higher standards seem a necessary evil.
It is undoubtedly enraging to hear people who continue to subsidize the oil industry with billions of dollars lecturing Quebec on the environment. Those who are worried to see the Legault government launching into this aberration that constitutes the “third link” without even waiting for the Office of Public Hearings on the Environment (BAPE) to review it will nonetheless approve of it. Ottawa’s decision to do its own assessment of the project and will rejoice if it refuses to fund it.
Making Quebec more autonomous is undoubtedly desirable, but the defense of its areas of jurisdiction must not serve as a screen for carelessness. We are not a crybaby simply because we are asking a government to be efficient and common sense.