CAQ, Québec Solidaire unveil party slogans — and opposing messages
As CAQ preaches continuity, QS says province's problems can't be solved with antiquated ideas
As the official beginning of Quebec's electoral campaign draws nearer, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) has unveiled its party slogan.
Just like four years ago, it consists of only one word: "Continuons," ("Let's keep going.")
In a statement released with its new slogan Friday, the CAQ said it proposed change when it came into power in 2018, but because of the work that remains to be done, it aspires to keep going.
In 2018, the party's slogan was "Maintenant," ("Now.") The CAQ went on to form government — a majority — for the first time in its history.
Québec Solidaire also announced its new slogan on Friday.
In a tweet, party co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois said its message would be "Changer d'ère" ("Changing eras.")
Changer d'ère, c'est notre slogan, c'est ce que nous proposerons aux Québécois et Québécoises lors de la campagne électorale.<br><br>Changer d’ère, ça veut dire qu’on ne règlera pas les problèmes du Québec d’aujourd’hui et de demain avec des solutions des années 90. <a href="https://t.co/i8udj0qhpD">pic.twitter.com/i8udj0qhpD</a>
—@GNadeauDuboisHe said Quebec's current and future problems won't be solved with solutions from the 1990s.
Last week, the Quebec Liberal Party announced its slogan: "Vrais enjeux. Vraies solutions," ("Real issues. Real solutions.") The Quebec Conservative Party said its message would be "Libres chez nous," ("Free at home.")
Party promises ahead of Oct. 3 election
Quebec Premier François Legault hasn't officially triggered the provincial election campaign, but the CAQ leader and his elected members have been out making a host of promises if re-elected on Oct. 3.
On Friday, outgoing family minister Mathieu Lacombe pledged a subsidized daycare spot for all children. He said that would be done by converting non-subsidized spaces into subsidized ones — 56,000 in all.
He said this could be accomplished in five years, at a cost of $1.4 billion. Lacombe said private daycares would also be given the option to convert to early childhood education centres, known as CPEs.
In recent days, outgoing health minister Christian Dubé has promised to "de-bureaucratize" the province's health-care network by creating a new government agency to co-ordinate operations, while Legault promised to fund 11,700 new social and affordable housing units over the next four years, as well as subsidize rent for 7,200 housing units.
Meanwhile, the Liberal party revealed its platform back in June. At the 40th convention of the party's youth wing in Montreal over the weekend, leader Dominique Anglade focused on cost-of-living issues, the dizzying rise of inflation, home prices and grocery bills.
Her platform pledges to lower taxes for the middle class, scrap the welcome tax for first-time home buyers and convert all non-subsidized daycares to subsidized ones for universal access to spaces at $8.70 a day.
The Conservative party revealed its platform over the weekend, focusing on five themes: health care, the economy, childcare, tax cuts as well as transportation and the environment.
Some of leader Éric Duhaime's promises on those fronts include changing the way hospitals are financed, training more physicians, gradually doing away with the government's role in financing the daycare system — relying instead on direct aid to parents thanks to vouchers of $200 per week per child — and reducing the taxpayer burden.
Québec Solidaire has yet to reveal its platform but has called itself "the party of the environment" and promised to solve the housing crisis.
With files from La Presse canadienne