Quebec politics: Q&A with political analyst on what happened at Quebec’s National Assembly

There was a lot to discuss in politics during 2022 as it was election year for the province.

CityNews was joined by political analyst Karim Boulos for a year in review of Quebec politics.

This was an election year in Quebec. How would you describe the campaign and the results of Legault winning another majority government?

Quebecers handed Mr. Legault an overwhelming majority. He’s pretty much got free reign to do whatever he wants for the next four years. And while he came in like a lamb and came out like a lion from an Anglophone’s perspective, passing Bill 21 and Bill 96, in the dying months of his first term.

I think we’re going to see more of those. Again, from an Anglo perspective. Some of those bold moves, strengthening the French language charter, strengthening French education throughout all levels of schooling, and possibly even introducing something at a university level.

There are grumblings that are not easy to corroborate at this point. But there’s a lot of talk, that people within his caucus and Quebecers in general, outside of Montreal wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of French language testing and French language proficiency.

RELATED: François Legault re-elected premier of Quebec, leads CAQ to second majority

Dominique Anglade stepped down as Liberal leader and Marc Tanguay was named interim party leader. Was any of this surprising to you? And what would you say is next for the Liberal Party?

It’s unsurprising that Dominique Anglade stepped down. I think with the showing that she posted for the Liberal Party. She read the writing on the wall. There was no real appetite, especially outside of Montreal, the stronghold for the Liberals for what?

The message that she was trying to convey. And so I think there’s a time it’s a time to reset for the Liberals. I think there’s time to rethink and regain confidence at a grassroots level of of all Quebecers.

I think the Anglo choice has always been, they say, has been taken for granted by some. But really the stronghold in Montreal is not enough to keep you in power. And I think the message broader Quebec-wide message, a regional message has to be designed and it’s going to take a lot of work.

I think it’s going to take a leader who is, of course, can maintain the base, but also can appeal in the way that Mr. Legault did to a more regional vote. Interest in economic development in the regions, environmental factors, and cultural factors.

The question of culture and the position on staunch federalists, I don’t think helped her in the regions. And I think the Liberal Party can maintain and in fact should maintain its position as a Federalist Party but has to provide something for the vote out there.

That is surprisingly the sovereign as we saw it with the Quebec Solidaire support with the party being quite supportive in terms of the vote numbers, not in the number of seats. And of course, Mr. Legault’s party has evaded the question.

So I think that the Liberal Party has to rethink and riding on the laurels of the last hundred years is not going to do it.

RELATED: Quebec Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade resigns month after election

Quebec’s 43rd National Assembly session started and soon after a law was adopted, making the oath to the king optional for elected members thanks to a push from the party to connect families. What do you make of this?

You know, it never would have happened if the Queen was still alive. I think that there was a certain level of respect for her majesty, the Queen, and people didn’t really want to touch it, even though I’m sure many people prior to the party had their reservations about it.

But under a new king, under King Charles, the question of relevance has to be brought up. Are we really subjects of the crown? And we’re not. And I think that if you ask some Anglophones, they’re, of course, staunchly supportive of the monarchy.

But I think most people in Quebec society, and I dare say in many parts of Canada, don’t necessarily see or feel the relevance of being part of the Commonwealth and having to pledge allegiance. So it looks like a small win for Mr. St. Pierre-Plamondon.

The same people don’t it’s it was low-hanging fruit for Mr. Legault. I’m sure he didn’t lose too much sleep over it. But let’s face it, it was more symbolic than anything because the Constitution has to be re-examined.

You can’t just unilaterally not pledge allegiance to the queen or the king in this case and make it law because it is not just dependent on Quebec. So it’s a more symbolic gesture that has to then be ratified and go through the various channels before it actually becomes more than just a symbol.

RELATED: Quebec adopts law making oath to King optional for elected members

Karim, where is Quebec headed politically in 2023?

I think people are trying to make up for the lost time. We know the economics of the country, and of the world, have been stagnating and we see the rise in interest rates. We see that the question of people having food on the table and having enough money to pay for children’s school supplies is ever-present.

We are entering potentially a recession over the next year, 18 months. So Mr. Legault’s staunch francophone stance is also going to have to be balanced against the economic development perspective, making sure that Quebec is a competitive player on the economic scene, bringing back manufacturing jobs, creating regional projects that employ thousands of people, and improving prosperity outside of the urban centers.

I think that we’re going to see a change in the relationship between the provinces in general and the federal government. Know they’ve been asking for money for health care following what was a terrible two and a half years with COVID.

So we’re going to see a lot of pushback from the provinces asking for more power, asking for more resources. And I think Mr. Legault is going to, you know, with a massive majority that he has, he’s going to speak quite confidently when dealing with other provincial leaders, with federal leaders, and making sure that Quebec’s places is secured. Although Quebec has a pretty good deal with Canada, I think Mr. Legault’s going to try to go push for more.