It was a warm welcome for CAQ Leader Francois Legault on Monday night in Montreal-North, one of the province’s most diverse neighbourhoods.
Partisans rushed to take pictures with the CAQ leader, one man even tried to offer him a blessing.
Legault, there to support his candidate, Julie Séide in Bourassa-Sauvé, took the opportunity to speak Creole and to reassure and connect with Quebec’s minority communities.
“The Liberal Party has often played the fear card, by saying we are intolerant, but I think they would like to see something else,” said Legault.
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Although he admitted that playing to a room with many Haitian voters is an easier sell.
“They already speak French, they have an advantage and because most of our values are coming from our religion, so it is easier when you talk about French and values,” said Legault.
Language and religion aside, Legault says all Quebecers should be looking at his economic plan.
The CAQ has made $2.7 billion in promises so far, including support for seniors by way of $800 million to keep aging Quebecers at home longer.
However, the Liberals say the numbers in the economic plan don’t add up.
They say the CAQ has not budgeted enough to offer pre-kindergarten to Quebec families. While the CAQ has set aside $250 million, the Liberals say it will take at least double that.
“The CAQ’s plan is incomplete, it doesn’t balance,” said Liberal candidate for Robert-Baldwin and Finance Minister Carlos Leitao on Monday.
The Liberals also warn that the CAQ has not set aside enough to help teach newcomers French.
Legault says that there is enough money to teach new arrivals French, because there will be fewer new arrivals.
The CAQ would cut the number of yearly immigrants from 50,000 to 40,000 a year.
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