Which fly stung François Legault? The Prime Minister, newly re-elected, appointed his Council of Ministers barely 10 days ago. In particular, he entrusted Public Security to François Bonnardel, Transport to Deputy Prime Minister Geneviève Guilbault and the Metropolis to Superminister Pierre Fitzgibbon.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
But he is already stepping into their flowerbeds — and into the dishes — with ill-advised comments on racial profiling and the bridge-tunnel.
First, let’s talk about racial profiling.
On Tuesday, the Superior Court rendered a major decision that will ensure that the police will no longer be able to intercept a motorist without real reason, within six months. This is good news for black people who are repeatedly arrested, without having committed the slightest reprehensible act.
It is discrimination pure and simple. It needs to change.
But the Prime Minister instead threw fuel on the fire by declaring that it was necessary to “let the police do their job” and that it was not a “question of racial profiling”, but of a “question of making sure to stop the violence in Montreal”.
Of course, we all want to reduce violence in the metropolis. Except that the purpose of random drive-by stops is to control drunk and drug-driving, not to control shootings and violence.
By mixing concepts, François Legault makes a dangerous amalgamation that fuels prejudice among the population. It’s extremely divisive.
Racism and the treatment of minorities are a sensitive issue that would have deserved more tact from the Prime Minister, who attacked a substantial judgment with a pithy sentence.
This unfortunate phrase goes in the same direction as François Legault’s stubborn refusal to recognize systemic racism against Indigenous people. She demonstrates her lack of empathy towards citizens who are victims of racism, which is unacceptable. And it gives the unpleasant impression that he is mainly trying to flatter his voters who are worried about immigration.
And to think that the Prime Minister had launched an appeal for national unity in his speech delivered during the swearing in of ministers! “In the West, we are witnessing a lot of division, groups that are becoming radicalized, insults that are raining down,” he lamented.
If he really wants to ease tensions in Quebec, Mr. Legault would have done better to keep quiet about racial profiling, he who hit cultural communities hard during the election campaign, with his unfortunate statements on immigration, to which were added those downright false from Minister Jean Boulet.
Another hot topic of the week: the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine bridge-tunnel. Another misguided statement from the Prime Minister.
Construction begins next Monday, Halloween day. A horror movie scenario for the residents of the South Shore who will be stuck in monster traffic jams because the government, which was sleeping on gas, was slow to put in place alternative solutions.
In a press scrum on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said he was open to the idea of banning solo cars during rush hour in the bridge-tunnel to reduce congestion. This solution, which smacks of improvisation, is not the way to go.
Let’s be frank, solo driving is a real problem in Montreal, where there are more and more vehicles, bigger and bigger… but increasingly empty. Result: it blocks and pollutes more and more.
Carpooling is an interesting avenue. But it is not so easy to set up, because motorists must find a companion nearby who has the same schedule, round trip. A famous challenge, especially when you have to drop off the children on the way.
By banning the solo car, we would risk shifting the problem to the other bridges where drivers fall back.
For the government, this false good idea would only be a way of placing the responsibility for its inaction on the backs of motorists, when it should rather strive to offer them interesting alternatives with public transport.
Instead of reacting like this in a hurry, the Prime Minister should look to the horizon to stay the course on the major directions to be given to Quebec. After all, he is the captain of the ship. And right now the ship is rocking.
After a spectacular post-pandemic recovery, the Quebec economy is now in reverse. Its GDP fell for four consecutive months, from April to July, which we had not seen since the financial crisis of 2008. All this while the Canadian economy recorded six consecutive months of growth. Sad contrast.
The threat of a recession is seriously rumbling over the province. Desjardins Group believes that we are already there. And yet, the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) had allowed itself to raise its economic growth forecasts, in the midst of the election campaign. This questionable gesture allowed him to finance more generous promises.
In its next budget statement, later this fall, the government will now have to prove that its commitments remain realistic, despite the headwinds.
This will be the first real test for the CAQ 2.0, which must hold the bar of public finances with both hands.