Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard gave a triumphant speech Wednesday after a cabinet shuffle that he says gives more room to a younger generation of politicians.
He also underlined some top accomplishments his government has made so far.
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“Our team took Quebec’s economy from the doghouse to a powerhouse in the country,” Couillard said.
During Wednesday’s cabinet shuffle Couillard touted his government’s track record on the economy.
“One of the big advantages that he’s got is unemployment is at a record low, the economy is booming,” said Phil Authier, a political reporter for the Montreal Gazette.
Still, in gearing up for the next election, some argue Couillard needed to switch up his team.
“He knew he had a problem in Quebec City, he added a few more ministers to Quebec City. He knew he had a potential problem with the anglophone vote, he added a minister,” Authier said.
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Far from the “transformation” the premier promised, Authier said the shuffle was more “tinkering.”
The premier may also have embellished a few details during his address.
“Nine-hundred-thousand of you have found a family doctor,” the premier boasted.
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However, the government is still eight per cent away from reaching its goal of 85 per cent of Quebecers having a family doctor.
The premier said his government has employed 1,300 more personal care attendants in long-term care homes, but according to the ministry of health only 861 have been hired — an error, the premier corrected Thursday morning:
“(We’re) in the process of doing.”
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He said the problem is due to a labour shortage: “We’re going to keep pushing to make sure people are brought into the workforce for our elderly.”
The premier also spoke about the importance of gender parity, bragging that his new cabinet had 47 per cent women. That’s excluding himself from the equation — if the premier is included it’s 45 per cent. He could have named just one more woman to cabinet and he would have come as close as possible to reaching parity.
“Women are in control now of some of the major portfolios of the government. Our deputy premier is a woman,” he said.
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