QUEBEC CITY – Parti Quebecois ministers are fanning out across the province in what’s being dubbed a “pre-electoral blitz.”
More than 80 activities are scheduled for the next few days, starting with a major investment in Gaspésie; Premier Pauline Marois announced on Friday the construction of a $1 billion cement plant in the region.
READ MORE: 2,300 new cement plant jobs announced in Quebec
At the same time, workers from two existing plants protested in front of the National Assembly.
They denounced the opening of the new publicly-funded cement plant, calling the premier’s decision completely “illogical.”
“The cement industry in Eastern North America is running at 60 per cent capacity. Why would anyone want to add two million tons of capacity into a market that’s struggling for survival?” asked Lafarge plant manager Alex Wojciechowski.
Workers told Global News that they fear they will lose their jobs.
The President and CEO of Ciment Quebec accused Pauline Marois of buying votes in the regions.
“It is totally a political opportunity for the premier, nothing else,” said Luc Papillon.
“There’s no logical or economical reasoning to sustain such a move from the government.”
There will be more such “moves,” as next week, ministers are scheduled to take part in 85 activities. Many are expected to announce new investments.
“They are spending money that we don’t have,” said Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) MNA Nathalie Roy.
The CAQ is maintaining that Marois is also planning to use the proposed charter of values to win more seats.
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Political observers agree the charter will be a dominant issue. The PQ’s goal is to form a majority government.
“They’re aiming at getting 70 seats,” explained The Globe and Mail’s Rhéal Séguin.
“They’ve got about 50 right now so there are 20 seats in those mainly francophone ridings that they’ll be targeting and I think that’s why we’re seeing all this activity going on.”
The Justice Minister denied that his party is strategizing to call an early election.
“We govern and we make announcements when we have announcements to make,” said Bertrand St-Arnaud.
Workers out protesting weren’t buying it.
“There’s an election coming up, everybody knows it,” Wojciechowski said.
The workers wanted to remind the premier that while she’s testing the political waters, they’ll be fighting for their jobs.
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