CAQ ‘more relevant than ever’: François Legault

The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) remains the only party capable of taking action on both the economy and the decline of French in Montreal, according to François Legault.

At a press conference at the National Assembly on Wednesday, the outgoing premier denied that his party was in trouble. He said he was “confident” about the future, given the weaknesses of his political opponents.

He asserted that in the Trump era, the Parti Québécois (PQ) had no expertise in economics and was likely to create “uncertainty,” while the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) would probably not defend French in the city.

“I think that right now we need to keep the CAQ. Why? Because we have two major priorities. The first one is about the economy. With what Mr. Trump is doing, we really need to have a government focus on the economy. That’s why we table a new vision last fall. So of course, I don’t think that the Parti Québécois is the good party for the future of our economy. One major priority is about keeping French and our values, especially in Montreal. And I don’t think right now that the liberal party is the right party to protect French and Montreal.”

Legault downplayed the departure of some heavyweights from his government. Earlier this week, Geneviève Guilbault and Sonia LeBel announced that they would be leaving politics at the end of their term.

These departures in an election year are “normal,” argued Legault, inviting journalists to look at the profiles of those who remain. “The CAQ has the strongest team.”

“I won’t back up any candidate, but I see that right now, even when you take into consideration people who announced that they won’t be for the next election, that the CAQ has the best and strongest team right now. And I see many good candidates right now. But I won’t back up any.”

If ministers choose to run as candidates, they will have to resign from their ministerial positions, which recently prompted PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to express his fear of major “disruption” within the government.

Legault also indicated that he had no intention of proroguing National Assembly’s upcoming winter session “for the time being.” He said he wanted to continue to “move Quebec forward” despite the upheaval that the CAQ leadership race will bring.

The parliamentary session will open on Feb. 3. The person who will replace Legault as CAQ leader and premier of Quebec will likely be elected at a convention in April.

A general election is scheduled for October, but St-Pierre Plamondon has repeatedly urged the government to call an election this spring. “It is in Quebec’s interest to go before the electorate and say, ‘Okay, what do we do?’” he said last Friday.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews