Quebec Premier François Legault says he is “very aware that Quebecers are angry with him” as his once-popular government faces backlash and a slip in the polls.
“I can see that Quebecers are unhappy about my decisions so I will try to do better,” he told reporters Wednesday in the provincial legislature.
When asked about what mistakes he made, Legault didn’t elaborate but pointed to a number of different reasons for the growing dissatisfaction. He continued walking the halls as journalists asked if he was losing control of his Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) caucus.
But the following day, Legault changed his tuned when asked about a caucus meeting the night before and said his team is “more united than ever.”
The premier’s comments came after a recent Pallas Data poll found his party was no longer the top choice among voters in the province.
The survey — which was conducted late last week for L’Actualité and poll-aggregating website QC125 — revealed that 30 per cent of respondents would vote for the Parti Québécois (PQ). Meanwhile, only 24 per cent of respondents said they would vote for the CAQ if an election were today.
It’s a stark contrast for Legault, whose party pulled off a decisive victory in 2018. With a whopping majority, the CAQ was the first new party to form government in the province since René Lévesque became Parti Québécois premier in 1976.
But Legault, who has largely maintained popularity and snagged a second majority win in 2022, is facing growing criticism both within the walls of his party and from voters.
There is an outcry over the province’s plan to spend between $5 million and $7 million to bring the Los Angeles Kings to Quebec City for two pre-season hockey matches against the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers next year. Criticism intensified when the Montreal Canadiens confirmed they would have been willing to play those same games for free.
Food banks have decried the subsidy, with some accusing the government of being out of touch as more people struggle to make ends meet and the demand for food aid has soared this year.
In a rare move, some CAQ MNAs aren’t toeing the party line and have publicly spoken out against the subsidy for the Kings. Beauce-Nord MNA Luc Provençal said Tuesday that financing professional hockey games with public money was “against (his) values.” But the elected official said he was “very satisfied” with the caucus meeting Wednesday night.
The timing of the hockey announcement has also been questioned since there are stalled contract negotiations with public sector unions.
Hundreds of thousands of workers — teachers, nurses and respiratory therapists, among others — are on rotating strikes throughout the week. The majority of public schools have been closed since Tuesday — and some 65,000 elementary and high school teachers began an indefinite strike Thursday. The ongoing walkouts also impact health-care institutions, where essential services are maintained but there have been delays in surgeries.
On Thursday, Legault said the government was willing to boost its offer — but said the unions must show more “flexibility” at the bargaining table.
Marie-Louise Tardif, who represents the CAQ in the Laviolette—Saint-Maurice riding, said there is “dissatisfaction” from her constituents over the government’s choices.
“We still feel a certain discontent (because of) the latest decisions, there are a few of them,” Tardif said Wednesday.
The Legault government has also faced hefty criticism for its plan to double tuition for out-of-province students, which would see fees increase to $17,000 from $8,992 for the upcoming academic year. The changes are expected to disproportionately affect Quebec’s three English-language universities.
McGill University not only put its $50-million French program on ice but Bishop’s University has said its survival is at stake. The leaders of French-language universities also condemned the plan.
— with files from Global’s Franca Mignacca and The Canadian Press