In the midst of rising inflation prompting Quebecers to cinch their belts tighter, Québec Solidaire (QS) is prepping to pressure the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government by putting forth a daily ‘portfolio question’ dealing specifically with the economic issues.
“Indeed, there has never been a time when living costs in Quebec have soared to such heights, and the silence of CAQ is deafening.” So spoke QS co-leader, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, during a Thursday morning press meeting, occurring adjacent to his party’s pre-session caucus at the National Assembly.
Nadeau-Dubois contends that the government’s efforts are insubstantial, primarily because Premier François Legault is inadequately attuned to the realities experienced by low-income citizens. “Premier Legault fails to comprehend the world of those shopping for their groceries at Dollarama or those checking their AccèsD balance before filling their carts,” he commented.
To counter this deficiency, QS pledges to confront CAQ daily with queries related to living costs. “We intend to highlight topics like grocery expenses, rental rates, mortgage expenses, and back-to-school costs,” elaborated Nadeau-Dubois.
In recent times, QS has signaled its intent to spotlight the matter of climate change during parliamentary debates. Nadeau-Dubois assures that his party are equipped to challenge the government on cost-of-living as well as environmental issues.
“We refuse to prioritize one issue over the other,” asserted the party leader, believing that both cost-of-living and climate change issues are interlinked. “Indeed, the link between this summer’s extreme weather conditions and the current elevated prices of strawberries, blueberries, and carrots in supermarkets is unquestionable,” he added.
Such concerns led QS to confirm on Wednesday their intent to propose a bill demanding transparency around greenhouse gas emissions from government infrastructure projects. They are also advocating for emergency assistance to be granted to the agricultural sector, which is bearing substantial losses due to extreme summer weather.
PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon echoed QS’ sentiments, dedicating his inaugural House query to the cost of living. In addition to proposing six solutions aimed at easing taxpayers’ burdens, including the distribution of $1.5 billion in grocery vouchers funded via Hydro-Quebec overpayments, he criticized CAQ’s failed promise of increasing Quebecers’ disposable income.
He opines that Quebec households are financially worse off under the CAQ administration despite any government assistance or tax reductions, attributing this to rampant inflation, elevated food and gas prices, and escalating rent and mortgage rates. Following a meeting with his colleagues, St-Pierre Plamondon unveiled six initiatives aimed at ameliorating household situations.
Besides advocating for the long overdue repayment of $1.5 billion in Hydro-Quebec overpayments, St-Pierre Plamondon suggests their allocation in the form of grocery vouchers (ranging between $350 to $562) to Quebecers based on income.
Other noteworthy proposals from the PQ leader include a guaranteed meal for each primary school student, a government-endorsed advertising campaign promoting price-comparing platforms for grocery products, a parliamentary summons for Quebec’s top three supermarket chains to deliberate on their excessive profits, the establishment of a Consumer Protection Bureau primarily to monitor food prices, and endorsing PQ’s plan to tackle food waste.