Economy: 59 per cent of Quebecers no longer trust the CAQ government

More than half of Quebecers do not trust the Legault government when it comes to the economy, according to a Léger poll released Wednesday. 

In fact, only 26 per cent of Quebecers say they trust the government when it comes to the economy, according to the poll conducted on behalf of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). 

Fifty-nine per cent do not trust the government, while 15 per cent preferred not to answer. 

“When the Quebec government’s economic decisions no longer inspire confidence in 59 per cent of the population, we’re not talking about a small pothole in the road, we’re talking about a real dead end,” said CFIB Vice President for Quebec François Vincent in an interview with The Canadian Press.

The level of confidence in the economy is relatively low, regardless of demographic profile. The government’s approval rating is lowest among women (21 per cent), 18-34 year olds (22 per cent), residents of the Quebec City region (21 per cent), and college graduates (22 per cent). 

Opinion is slightly less unfavorable among men as a whole, at 32 per cent. 

Among respondents, 36 per cent believe that the government has a vision that supports small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Thirty-three per cent believe the opposite. A similar proportion, 31 per cent, preferred not to answer. “This shows that the vision related to SMEs is not central,” says Vincent.

In response to the survey results, Samuel Poulin, Minister for the Economy and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, said he understands that Quebecers’ confidence has been shaken by the uncertain geopolitical and economic climate. 

In an interview, Poulin listed a series of measures he has put forward to simplify life for SMEs since joining the cabinet four months ago. 

He cited Bill 11 as an example, which proposes introducing the “2 for 1” principle, i.e., eliminating two administrative formalities for each new one that is introduced. 

“I fully intend to continue to make life easier for SMEs in Quebec in an effort to regain that confidence, even though I know that the international context will remain difficult.”

He also defends his government’s record prior to his appointment. He cites Investissement Québec’s programs to help SMEs increase their productivity as an example. He also mentions the assistance provided to businesses during the pandemic. “(These) loans have enabled SMEs to remain open today.”

However, the minister ruled out tax cuts for SMEs. “We favor responsible assistance programs and the work of Investissement Québec, so that’s what we’re focusing on,” he replied. 

Vincent views certain actions taken by the Legault government favorably. He cites regulatory relief and efforts to harmonize interprovincial trade.

He believes that Quebec should have done more to reduce taxes on SMEs. “The government should not pick winners,” argues Vincent. “Instead, it should trust SME leaders who understand their challenges and know what to do to grow their businesses.”

He points to the Léger poll, which shows that 73 per cent of Quebecers would support a reduction in SME taxes. 

Although the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) is looking for a new leader and elections are scheduled for this fall, Vincent believes that the government still has time to take certain actions. 

“There is still a government in place,” he points out. There is a budget coming up, followed by a parliamentary session. It is possible to shift the focus toward small businesses right now,” he said. 

The poll was conducted by Léger among 1,011 respondents from January 16 to 19. It was conducted after the announcement of Premier François Legault’s resignation. 

The Canadian Marketing Research and Intelligence Council notes that a margin of error cannot be attributed to online surveys because they do not use random sampling of the population.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews