Brett Thoms
GATINEAU March 10, 2022
With the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, Dominique Anglade, MNA for the Pontiac, André Fortin, and the MNA for Hull, Maryse Gaudreault, held a media roundtable to discuss the Liberal Party’s priorities for the Outaouais region on Thursday.
THE EQUITY took the opportunity to ask questions concerning the Liberals’ intentions around Bill 21 and Bill 96.
“Regarding Bill 96, we’ve been bringing a number of . . .
amendments to it to change some of the things that have been presented in this bill, specifically healthcare access for English-speaking Quebecers,” said Anglade.
Both Fortin and Anglade also spoke about the concerns that amendments to Bill 96 could threaten higher education for English-speaking Quebecers. “Heritage College is going to have some very difficult decisions to make with regards to the future of the Campbell’s Bay campus”, said Fortin. “I am very worried about the survival and long-term viability of the only higher education institution in the Pontiac given the current state of Bill 96.”
Anglade also criticized the decision by the CAQ government to not go ahead with the planned expansion of Dawson College in Montreal, saying that it is “sending a very bad message to the English-speaking community.”
Anglade and Fortin said the Liberals could not support Bill 96 in its current form.
Fortin added that they are working on improving the bill but recognized that the influence the Liberals could have on the bill is limited. “The CAQ has a majority and so if they want to pass the bill, they can pass the bill,” said Fortin.
Fortin also didn’t provide comment on a question on whether they would repeal Bill 96 should it pass and Liberals go on to form government after the upcoming election.
On Bill 21, Anglade reiterated her opposition to it, calling it divisive.
However, when asked, she didn’t express any regret for her party’s support of a censure of journalist Shachi Kurl for her question to the leader of Bloc Québécois on whether Bills 21 and 96 were discriminatory during last falls English language federal leaders debate.
“I think it was a general attack against Quebec,” said Anglade.
Fortin promised that if the Liberals formed government, they would remove the notwithstanding clause from Bill 21, allowing the bill to be challenged in court. He did not make a similar commitment for Bill 96.
Anglade and Fortin also discussed Liberal Party priorities ranging from housing, to healthcare, to climate and the economy.
“People are desperate to find a place, whether it’s social housing, whether it’s affordable housing, whether it’s even buying a house,” said Anglade. “There is no plan right now from the[CAQ] government to do anything.”
Fortin linked the housing crisis with the understaffing of the Pontiac hospital, saying one of the reasons it was unable to attract temporary nurses to the region was because of the lack of housing. Fortin said a housing plan that ensures the construction of rural dwellings would improve the quality of care in the area.
“That would have a direct impact on the quality of care that we can offer at our hospitals,” said Fortin. “And the same goes with the attraction of other professionals. I’ve come across some community groups that say, ‘hey, we have a new general director, [but they] live in Aylmer because there’s no housing available to them in the Pontiac.’”
On climate and the economy Anglade promised more investment for the Pontiac if they formed government.
“One thing that’s really interesting about the Pontiac is that it is one of the regions that has the most sunshine in Quebec,‘’ said Anglade. “It is important to know that because if you want to do something around solar energy, it’s a great place to do it.”
More of these media tours can be expected going forward given the lifting of restrictions and the upcoming election.
