On December 6, the lights at the National Assembly officially went out, and MNAs headed back to their ridings for a well-deserved holiday break. What events have punctuated the news over the past few crucial weeks? What will we remember of this mid-term session of the Legault government? Find out in the latest edition of Québec Now!
The CAQ still trailing in the polls
The latest poll just before the end of the parliamentary session did not help the CAQ government leave for the holiday break with light hearts. It shows that the CAQ has only 24% of voting intentions, far behind the Parti Québécois, which leads with 31%. With such results, François Legault's troops would not only lose power: they would be relegated to third party status. Nonetheless, these figures represent a very, very slight improvement on the previous poll. Will the CAQ continue to rebound in 2025?
Ban prayers in public places?
The parliamentary session coincided with news reports of public institutions departing from Québec’s secularism rules, particularly in schools. In response, senior members of the Legault government have reiterated their desire to strengthen Québec’s secularism law, the Loi sur laïcité de l'État. Premier François Legault went even further, saying he was ready to use the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to ban public prayer, and thus "send a message to Islamists". It remains to be seen whether this is a real objective for 2025, or just a political trial balloon.
MNA Bouazzi condemned by the National Assembly
At a public event, Québec Solidaire MNA Haroun Bouazzi accused the Québec National Assembly and its members of racism on a daily basis, remarks that sparked an outcry in the public arena, and even within his own party. After doubling down by naming Health minister Christian Dubé and Social Services minister Lionel Carmant, the MNA finally apologized, under pressure from his party. In a rare move, the National Assembly voted to censure Bouazzi. He has been absent from the National Assembly ever since.
Deposit system extension postponed and investigation launched
It's news that many were anticipating: to avoid a predicted catastrophe, Environment Minister Benoit Charette has postponed a significant portion of the deposit system’s expansion in Québec. As of March 2025, only plastic containers (that were not already returnable) will become returnable. Other containers, including glass bottles and multi-layer containers, will have to wait until 2027. The Minister, visibly dissatisfied, also announced the launch of an administrative investigation into the designated management organization, controlled by producers reluctant to accept deposits.
Santé Québec officially opens its doors
The centerpiece of the CAQ government's healthcare reform, Santé Québec – the agency responsible for the operational management of the healthcare network – began its work on December 1st. In addition to having to cut more than a billion dollars in spending, the agency also has to deal with a tense labour climate, due to negotiations between the government and the two main doctors' unions, from which Santé Québec is strangely excluded. Will the new agency headed by Geneviève Biron be able to turn around the public health network?
Next election: Minister Dubé won't be on the ballot
The Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, took advantage of his appearance on a popular public affairs program to confirm a rumour that has been circulating for some time in the corridors of the National Assembly: he does not intend to stand for re-election in the next election, scheduled for 2026. Between now and the end of his mandate, Minister Dubé intends to concentrate on negotiations with the two doctors' unions.
Energy reform: adoption will have to wait until 2025
As the session draws to a close, the government will have pulled out all the stops to complete the legislative process for several bills. These include a bill to improve construction quality, a bill to reform social assistance, a bill on new immigration powers, a bill on the Mobilité Infra Québec Agency, and a bill on abusive pricing and credit practices. As for energy reform, which was supposed to spearhead government action, Christine Fréchette, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, has pushed it back to 2025. Her excuse is the threat of tariffs posed by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
A comeback that is running out of runway
After months of disappointing polls, the CAQ was hoping for a strong comeback after the summer. But the return to the National Assembly quickly muddied the waters, notably with the shock departure of Pierre Fitzgibbon, Super Minister of the Economy and Energy. His departure put the brakes on the government's ambitious energy reform, which was supposed to be the centerpiece of its program. Add to this the resignation of a right-leaning MNA and that of a vice-president of the National Assembly, nabbed by the Ethics Commissioner.
Delays are piling up: the creation of a transportation infrastructure agency required more than 80 hours of parliamentary debate, the reform of the deposit locker system has been postponed for two years, and the school discipline plan remains invisible. Even the launch of the Santé Québec Health agency on December 1st went almost unnoticed. Nationalist statements on immigration and secularism, once popular, are now less persuasive to the public.
Meanwhile, the difficulties of Northvolt, a key player in the CAQ-backed battery industry, cast a shadow over one of its flagship projects. With voting intentions stagnating between 20 and 25%, the hoped-for comeback looks increasingly complicated. Québec is embarking on a period of budgetary rigor, marked by difficult choices – an unprecedented situation for a government that had inherited financial surpluses.
François Legault and his team still have 18 months to turn things around. A strong move at the start of the year, such as a cabinet reshuffle, could provide a boost, but there is no guarantee of success.
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