After producing a year one budget in 2005, François Legault mocks the update signed by Paul St-Pierre Plamondon which will be published next week. Independence is “not the priority” of Quebecers, he reiterated Thursday.
Questioned in the House by the PQ leader, the Prime Minister affirmed that “currently what interests Quebecers is education, it is health, it is the economy, it is the environment, it’s that we act on French.” “Not that we wait until the big night! “, he said.
“People’s priority is not to hold a referendum on the sovereignty of Quebec, it is to be able to pay for their groceries, to pay their rent,” added the elected CAQ member.
A few seconds earlier, Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon had confirmed the information from The Press according to which an independent Quebec would be able to save $8.7 billion per year by eliminating budget overlaps with the federal government. This would practically make it possible to eliminate the 9.6 billion hole in the equalization net left behind by a separation process.
“That does not mean that we are not capable of possibly having work done on the budget of a sovereign Quebec,” agreed Mr. Legault, who in 2005 signed a portrait of finances of independent Quebec. “ [Mais] that’s not the question. »
“Could he tell Quebecers how many [gens] would lose their jobs with the cuts? », he asked his counterpart.
“Like Jean Charest”
Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon criticizes the CAQ Prime Minister for having abandoned his sovereignist convictions. “It’s amazing, I think I hear Jean Charest. Word for word,” he argued Thursday. “It seems to me that there are limits to denying what we have already said and renouncing what we have already been. »
The leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ) has always promised a referendum in a first mandate. On Wednesday, he also outlined the contours of a sovereign Quebec by positioning himself favorably for a currency and a Quebec army. However, sovereignty was almost entirely excluded from his partial election campaign in Jean-Talon, and the tabling of his budget for year one was postponed until after the election.
“Why, when the elections come, does he not talk about sovereignty? », Launched Mr. Legault on Thursday.
The publication of the PQ’s renewed year one budget is scheduled for Monday.