Parti Québécois Projected to Form Next Quebec Government After Eight Years of CAQ Rule
The sovereigntist Parti Québécois, led by Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, is projected to form the next government in Quebec. The party's platform includes a $6.6 billion spending reduction, lower immigration targets, the abolition of Santé Québec, and plans for an independence referendum after 2029.
The sovereigntist Parti Québécois (PQ) is projected to form the next government in Quebec, ending eight years of rule by the Coalition Avenir Québec. PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon campaigned on promises to rein in government spending, protect the French language, and reduce immigration numbers. The party won only three seats in the 2022 election before staging its projected comeback.
On the fiscal front, the PQ’s plan calls for a $6.6-billion reduction in government spending over five years by finding efficiencies in bureaucracy. To provide immediate consumer relief, the party promised to eliminate the provincial sales tax on second-hand goods and temporarily cut Quebec’s sales tax on gasoline in half.
Health care administration is set for significant restructuring. St-Pierre Plamondon promised to abolish Santé Québec, the government agency created by the CAQ to oversee the health-care system. In its place, the PQ plans to invest $150 million over four years to make local community service centres (CLSCs) the main point of entry into the health system.
The PQ wants to limit the number of permanent immigrants to 35,000 people a year, a substantial reduction from the roughly 60,000 newcomers who settled in Quebec last year. This proposed cut has drawn opposition from the business community due to labour force demands.
Strengthening French language requirements in education and work permits is another central pillar of the incoming government's agenda. The PQ intends to extend the Charter of the French Language to CEGEPs and to children of non-permanent residents living in Quebec for more than 12 months. Additionally, the party plans to have schools allocate 10 per cent of the grade on all assignments to the quality of French, regardless of the subject.
Looking toward sovereignty, the PQ plans to hold a referendum on independence after U.S. President Donald Trump's term ends in January 2029. St-Pierre Plamondon stated that intergovernmental relationships with Prime Minister Mark Carney's government will become part of the project to prepare Quebec for independence, signaling potential tension with Ottawa over shared responsibilities like immigration.
A PQ government also faces a potential constitutional showdown over Bill 21, Quebec's secularism law, with a ruling expected soon from the Supreme Court of Canada.