Latest news with #Legault
Montreal Gazette
3 days ago
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Legault says he's energized by public's disapproval of CAQ government
Quebec Politics QUEBEC — Premier François Legault acknowledged Wednesday that the people are disappointed in his government, but insisted poor polling numbers inspire him to keep trying. There was also a slice of good news for the Coalition Avenir Québec government on Wednesday: the Moody's credit rating agency opted not to downgrade Quebec's rating despite the province's projected historic deficit of $13.6 billion for 2025-26. 'I am well aware that many Quebecers are disappointed in our government,' Legault said Wednesday as he arrived for his last in-person cabinet meeting before the summer. 'But for me, it gives me energy. It makes me want to fight during the year and a few months that remain (before the next election) to deliver still more results to Quebecers. 'In October 2026, it will be up to Quebecers to decide if they want to keep me or not.' Legault was reacting to a new Pallas Data/L'actualité/Qc125 poll showing the CAQ has placed third in voter support for the second time in two months. In the previous poll, done by Léger for Le Journal de Montréal in May, the CAQ was bleeding support to the benefit of the Parti Québécois. The Pallas Data poll is different because it shows the CAQ losing support to the Quebec Liberals and the party's new leader, Pablo Rodriguez, who was elected to the top job Saturday. The poll was conducted just after Rodriguez won the leadership over second-place Charles Milliard. According to the poll, the PQ still leads in voter intentions with 31 per cent, but the Liberals under Rodriguez are not far behind with 26 per cent, up four points from the previous Pallas poll in March. The CAQ has fallen to third place with 15 per cent, 11 points less than the Liberals. For the Liberals, this is the best poll they have had since 2022. The Quebec Conservatives are fourth with 14 per cent and Québec solidaire is at 12 per cent. The Pallas poll was conducted from June 14 to 16 and is based on a sample of 1,085 Quebecers. The poll comes as Rodriguez is to meet Thursday with the entire 19-member Liberal caucus for the first time as leader. He will hold an afternoon news conference after the meeting. Legault also got more bad news Wednesday: Quebec's anticorruption squad UPAC announced it conducted searches Wednesday of the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec's headquarters in connection with the SAAQclic fiasco, which the Gallant inquiry is investigating. The CAQ government did, however, get one tidbit of good news as Quebec enters the summer holiday season: A second credit rating agency, Moody's, which is based in New York, has decided not to downgrade Quebec's credit rating. In a statement issued Wednesday, Moody's maintained the rating at Aa2 with a 'stable' perspective. 'The stable outlook reflects our forecast that risks to the province's budget and fiscal plan are broadly balanced,' Moody's says. 'Despite the widening deficits in the near term, driven by the economic uncertainty of U.S. trade tensions, we expect the province's strong fiscal management will mitigate risks where possible. 'While the debt and interest burdens will rise, we expect they will remain with levels recorded by the province of the past decade.' The Moody's decision to maintain Quebec's credit rating follows that of DBRS on June 9. DBRS decided to maintain Quebec's rating at AA (low) with a 'stable' perspective. The two contrast with a decision in April by S&P, which lowered Quebec's credit rating from AA- to A+. It was the first time in 30 years that Quebec's credit rating was lowered. The latest decision is 'a positive sign,' Finance Minister Eric Girard said Wednesday on his way into the cabinet meeting. 'If you look at Moody's, they took a long-term perspective. They recognized that the current situation is difficult, but they are more positive in the long term.' This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 3:42 PM.
Calgary Herald
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Why a 'love story' with Mark Carney is François Legault's only hope
Article content OTTAWA — Quebec Premier François Legault was on fire last weekend. Article content The man who is clearly and unequivocally the most unpopular premier in Canada, according to the latest Angus Reid poll, stood before the future of his party, the members of the youth wing of the Coalition Avenir Québec, smiling and ready to fight. Article content Article content 'I want to fight more than ever! For a third term, to finish the job!' he roared. 'I need you to continue building Quebec for future generations,' he added. Article content Article content But the polls suggest that the fight seems lost for Legault, known for years as the country's most beloved premier. And for the man who has made a punching bag of the federal Liberal government, it's a cruel twist of fate that Prime Minister Mark Carney may be the only person who can save the Quebec premier. Article content Article content With nearly a year to go until the election, the man who won one of the largest majorities in Quebec's history, with 90 out of 125 seats, is facing a massacre. According to the latest Angus Reid report, only a quarter of Quebecers approve of his performance. In March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, his approval rating was 77 per cent. Article content 'Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the CAQ wins zero seat in next year's election,' said a CAQ insider that was granted anonymity to speak more freely out of fear of repercussions. Article content The man behind the poll aggregator Philippe J. Fournier, is almost convinced that if there were an election today, the CAQ would not have party status. Article content Article content 'Currently, Mr. Legault is in a situation that is similar or even perhaps a little worse than (then prime minister) Justin Trudeau in December,' he told National Post. Article content Article content His government has faced numerous controversies over the past two and a half years. Right now, he is being hit on all fronts for his government mismanagement in the health, energy, transport and finances files. Article content The public, it seems, has simply had enough of this government and no longer trusts it. Article content Legault sees things differently and presents himself as the nationalist and economic candidate. But the road ahead isn't smooth. Article content On the one hand, the separatist Parti Québécois has comfortably taken the lead and is garnering all the attention with a leader who remains perfectly clear about his intentions during the first mandate of a PQ government. Yes, this is a referendum on Quebec independence.
Vancouver Sun
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Why a 'love story' with Mark Carney is François Legault's only hope
OTTAWA — Quebec Premier François Legault was on fire last weekend. The man who is clearly and unequivocally the most unpopular premier in Canada, according to the latest Angus Reid poll , stood before the future of his party, the members of the youth wing of the Coalition Avenir Québec, smiling and ready to fight. 'I want to fight more than ever! For a third term, to finish the job!' he roared. 'I need you to continue building Quebec for future generations,' he added. But the polls suggest that the fight seems lost for Legault, known for years as the country's most beloved premier. And for the man who has made a punching bag of the federal Liberal government, it's a cruel twist of fate that Prime Minister Mark Carney may be the only person who can save the Quebec premier. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. With nearly a year to go until the election, the man who won one of the largest majorities in Quebec's history, with 90 out of 125 seats, is facing a massacre. According to the latest Angus Reid report, only a quarter of Quebecers approve of his performance. In March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, his approval rating was 77 per cent. 'Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the CAQ wins zero seat in next year's election,' said a CAQ insider that was granted anonymity to speak more freely out of fear of repercussions. The man behind the poll aggregator , Philippe J. Fournier, is almost convinced that if there were an election today, the CAQ would not have party status. 'Currently, Mr. Legault is in a situation that is similar or even perhaps a little worse than (then prime minister) Justin Trudeau in December,' he told National Post. His government has faced numerous controversies over the past two and a half years. Right now, he is being hit on all fronts for his government mismanagement in the health, energy, transport and finances files. The public, it seems, has simply had enough of this government and no longer trusts it. Legault sees things differently and presents himself as the nationalist and economic candidate. But the road ahead isn't smooth. On the one hand, the separatist Parti Québécois has comfortably taken the lead and is garnering all the attention with a leader who remains perfectly clear about his intentions during the first mandate of a PQ government. Yes, this is a referendum on Quebec independence. With a popular leader leading the way among francophones, with a similar margin to that of federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre a year ago, the PQ has now brought the separatists back home after a decade of desertion. On the other hand, Legault will have to deal with a new leader of the Quebec Liberal Party starting Saturday, when the party chooses its candidate to become Quebec's next premier. The QLP has been in dormancy since the 2022 election debacle and is dreaming of a massive comeback with a new leader. 'If the next election is about a possible PQ referendum, it becomes clear that we are the alternative. Nobody believes that Legault is a federalist,' said a Liberal source. In April, interim leader Marc Tanguay dropped a bombshell by publicly declaring that he had information that preparations for a CAQ leadership convention were underway. Last week, he claimed his information was still accurate. But Legault insisted he would seek a third term. After all, he doesn't have what Trudeau had a few months ago: Carney as a successor. And Carney may be the only person who can save Legault. For weeks now, the premier has been unusually nice to the federal Liberals, a party that he wanted defeated last fall when he asked the Parti Québécois leader to tell his 'comrade' at the Bloc Québécois to overthrow the Trudeau government. Now, Legault tells his own members that Quebec 'must work hand in hand with the federal government.' According to him, there is 'an exceptional opportunity' with Carney in Ottawa because he is a prime minister 'laser focused' on the economy. But also, because Carney's entourage is prominently from Quebec. François-Philippe Champagne is finance minister, Mélanie Joly is the minister of industry, Marc-André Blanchard will be Carney's chief of staff and now Michael Sabia, who was Legault's pick as CEO of Hydro-Québec, is the next clerk of the Privy Council. 'It's as if the stars were aligned… So, now is the time to take advantage of it,' Legault said in his speech. The PQ is now calling the Carney-Legault relationship a 'love story.' 'If he can seek economic opportunities at the federal level and then take credit for them, of course he will do so, so that is called a political opportunity,' said Emilie Foster, a former CAQ MNA and professor at Carleton University. During her term as a backbencher for Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré in the National Assembly from 2018 to 2022, Foster said she never heard her premier utter the words 'military' and 'defence.' This week, as Carney announced massive military spending to meet NATO's two per cent target, Legault quickly announced millions of dollars to support Quebec's defence industry and visited three companies. In Ottawa, this sudden affection from Quebec City is more than welcome. Many Quebec Liberal MPs were all smiles this week. None of them were the most popular politician in Quebec. No, the most popular 'by far' noted Fournier, is Mark Carney. Now, Legault wants a piece of it and wants to show the electorate his record of economic success next year. So far, he's boasted of outperforming Ontario and Canada in per capita economic growth, wage growth and disposable income growth. Legault wants major projects. Like the Newfoundland-Quebec power line, with the help of Carney, who has introduced a bill to fast track major projects. It's his only chance of survival, according to Foster. Over the past few decades, he's pledged to be an 'economic man,' just like Carney. Yet the province has recorded the largest deficits in its history. But Legault is making the case that the PQ won't try to achieve success with the federal government because it wants to demonstrate that Canada isn't working. 'So this is not the time to have the PQ in power, this must be very clear, and it must be explained to Quebecers,' Legault said. He simply hopes that Quebecers will give the PQ the same treatment that Canadians gave the Conservatives. National Post atrepanier@ Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers Sign up here. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Calgary Herald
13-06-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Africa is looking for new trade partners. Canada could fill the void, say NGOs
Article content As G7 leaders chew over crucial global issues in Kananaskis, a couple of international organizations are in Calgary, vying for Prime Minister Mark Carney's attention, to say one thing: invest in Africa. Article content For decades, the continent has been a recipient of foreign aid, which, albeit imperfectly, has helped countries improve several sectors, including education, literacy and health. Following massive cuts by the U.S. to its international funding, countries within Africa are left reeling from the void. Article content Article content Article content One, a philanthropic organization by Bono, lead singer for the band U2, along with Engineers Without Borders, believes Canada can exploit that gap — not just through aid, but via trade. Article content Article content 'Canadian businesses are looking for new trade partners,' Elise Legault, Canadian director of One, said. 'And we want to say the region that is the fastest growing in the world, the only region that's going to see important population growth in the next few decades, is Africa.' Article content As U.S. President Donald Trump continues to impose global tariffs on its allies, including its northern neighbour, nations in Africa can allow Canada to expand its energy sector in important regions and magnify its wealth while boosting economic growth on the continent, Legault added. Article content 'Six hundred million people on the African continent don't have regular access to electricity, and this is also often regularly named as a big barrier for private investment growth,' Legault said. Article content Article content 'Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that he wants Canada to be a global energy superpower — well, there's a lot of potential for partnerships with African countries to help develop their electricity grid and energy supply.' Article content Article content However, Africa isn't as big a priority as it once was. Article content For instance, in 2002, when the G8 arrived in Kananaskis, global leaders focused on three priorities, the second of which was building a new partnership for Africa's development. That year, the Canadian federal government pledged $34.2 million to initiatives on the continent. Article content Legault said funding to the region also came with advantages to its benefactors: it gave countries what is called soft power, a network of allies which allowed outside countries to enact change and seek cooperation at times of need. It also helped nations, like the U.S., to track diseases, such as Ebola, and prevent further outbreaks.
Montreal Gazette
13-06-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Gallant commission into SAAQclic scandal extended to Dec. 15
Quebec Politics QUEBEC — The Legault government announced Thursday that it has agreed to extend the Gallant Commission's investigation into the SAAQclic fiasco until Dec. 15, 2025. Commissioner Denis Gallant was initially scheduled to submit his final report by Sept. 30. He clearly needs more time to fulfill his mandate; testimony has been pouring in for six weeks, but it is far from over. The commission heard from several former members of the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) board of directors, former internal auditors, and a former vice-president of finance. It has not yet met with the presidents and CEOs, the project manager who was central to the digital shift, Karl Malenfant, or Legault government ministers. The SAAQ's failed digital transformation is expected to cost taxpayers at least $1.1 billion by 2027, or $500 million more than expected, according to calculations by the auditor general. The hearings, which were scheduled to end on June 20, will now resume in Montreal at the end of August. SAAQ hid costs On Thursday, former SAAQ Vice-President of Finance Yves Frenette — testifying for the third consecutive day — grudgingly acknowledged that the government corporation had hidden costs in 2022. In June 2022, Frenette was invited to review a 'placemat' intended for Ministers Éric Caire and François Bonnardel, which indicated that the cost of the digital project was $682 million. But it was actually $945 million, Frenette acknowledged Thursday, saying he wasn't surprised to see this figure in the auditor's report that sparked controversy last February. The figure presented to politicians includes the 'implementation' cost, but not the 'recurring' cost, which had been part of the original calculation. The commission's lawyer, Marie-Claude Sarrazin, then suggested to Frenette that they had stopped comparing 'apples to apples' and were instead comparing 'an apple to half an apple.' Frenette could only agree. No further details on the discussions with the ministers have been released so far. Timing 'suits the CAQ', Liberals say The official opposition in the National Assembly says it understands the need to extend the commission's work. 'Given the scope of the scandal, the mass of information, and the number of testimonies, I understand,' Quebec Liberal Party House Leader Monsef Derraji said. However, he deplored the fact that the report will not be submitted until after the end of the fall parliamentary session, when MNAs return to their ridings for the Christmas holidays. 'No debate in the Assembly or accountability before elected officials: let's be frank, that suits the CAQ government perfectly,' Derraji said. The Parti Québécois agreed. 'Premier François Legault, who wanted to move quickly, now seems much less eager to obtain the conclusions of the investigation,' MNA Joël Arseneau said. He emphasized that the testimonies have been, so far, 'damning,' the revelations 'troubling' and marked by 'suspicions of corruption.' 'We have the impression that the government took the opportunity to postpone the submission of the report until after the end of the session to avoid being held accountable before the end of 2025,' he added. Québec solidaire said Thursday that it would reserve its comments. 'Extremely dense' evidence On Thursday, commission spokesperson Joanne Marceau said it was indeed the commission that requested a two-and-a-half-month extension. In a telephone interview, she stated that investigators had received 100,000 documents and then met with 160 witnesses, 42 of whom were questioned before the commissioner. 'Our evidence is extremely dense. ... No witness is useless,' she said.
