After a day of voting in Quebec, the Coalition Avenir Quebec has won a majority government.
The right-leaning party overtook the Quebec Liberals for the largest share of seats in the National Assembly, passing the threshold of 63 seats needed for a majority government though the final number remains in flux as polls continue to come in.
READ MORE: Quebec election 2018: A last-minute voter’s guide
Because of that, the party can get straight to work on its agenda without needing to negotiate with other parties for support.
But what exactly might its leader, François Legault, aim to work on first?
WATCH BELOW: Quebec heads to the polls
Here are five of the key promises he has made to Quebec voters.
Immigration reform
Top on the list of priorities for a Legault-led government will likely be immigration reform.
Legault has called for a decrease in immigration levels from 50,000 per year to 40,000 per year, which has earned him strong condemnation from fellow candidates.
READ MORE: CAQ Leader François Legault on hot seat over proposed French, values tests for newcomers
Key among his promises is a plan to impose a values test and a French-language test for immigrants.
WATCH BELOW: Where the parties stand on immigration
Failing those tests would see an individual lose their selection certificate and leave them open to deportation by the federal government after the province flags the individual as being in the province illegally.
However, Legault would not be able to himself act to deport any of those individuals without federal support.
READ MORE: CAQ says it would expel immigrants who fail to learn French in 3 years
Parti Québécois Leader Jean-François Lisée has said Legault’s plan is too timid and wants French-language ability to be a prerequisite for immigrants to the province, as well as a decrease in immigrants to 35,000 per year.
The Quebec Liberals have also criticized Legault’s plan as one intended “solely to cause squabbling and division.”
Montreal city council size
Not unlike the battle taking place in Ontario right now, a fight could be shaping up between Legault and Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.
Legault is on the record stating he thinks Montreal city council is too large.
He said this summer, he wants to come to an agreement with Plante on how to make the council more “efficient,” including by reducing the number of councillors.
“We will work with [Mayor] Valérie [Plante],” Legault said. “There’s a lot [of councillors]. Maybe we could reduce, all while coming to an agreement with the City of Montreal, to be more efficient.”
Municipalities are creatures of provincial statutes, meaning the province can act to intervene in municipal governance.
A similar battle is currently playing out in Toronto between Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who invoked the notwithstanding clause to cut the size of Toronto city council after butting heads with its urban members for years as a councillor.
WATCH: Francois Legault gives victory speech
-
![]()
CAQ wins majority government in Quebec, will invoke notwithstanding clause -
![]()
Quebec Election: CAQ leader Francois Legault gives victory speech -
![]()
Quebec Election: Legault tells Anglophones ‘my government will be your government’ -
![]()
Quebec Election: CAQ headquarters burst into celebrations -
![]()
Quebec Election: Marguerite Blais switches party and joins CAQ
Marijuana consumption
Marijuana will be legal to consume in Quebec and across the country in a little more than two weeks.
While the legal age limit is currently set at 18, Legault wants to raise it to 21.
“It’s terrible what cannabis can do to youth,” Legault said while campaigning in August.
“We shouldn’t be trivializing youth cannabis use.”
READ MORE: CAQ promises to raise marijuana legal age if elected
No other province in Canada has that limit, though some have raised the age for purchase and consumption to 19.
Legault has also been critical of allowing municipalities to set their own rules for how people can consume marijuana in public.
Quebec Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard was critical of that suggestion while the Parti Quebecois wants to see increased provincial authority over how marijuana is regulated and made available.
Public transit
Public transit is also going to be a big issue for the new Quebec government.
The CAQ presented a $10-billion plan to boost infrastructure and transit investment this summer.
WATCH BELOW: A pink line for Montreal’s Metro
Key among the proposals in that plan is a vow to slash the proposed Pink Line for the Montreal metro.
Instead, Legault has vowed to extend the Blue Line and expand the light-rail transit project currently under construction to reach Laval and extend further on the South Shore.
He also wants to extend Highway 19 and Highway 30, and introduce tax incentives for carpooling.
Those vows essentially put the focus on suburban Montrealers, who are key to the party’s success around the city.
Secularism charter
Legault has also promised to adopt what he has called a secularism charter within his first year in office.
That plan would ban state employees from wearing conspicuous religious symbols while at work.
READ MORE: CAQ’s Legault offers Quebecers ‘middle way’ as election campaign begins
Those include professions such as teachers, judges and police officers.
While critics of that plan have argued it will likely run up against the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Legault has vowed to invoke the notwithstanding clause to get it done if need be.
The controversial clause allows governments to override certain sections of the Charter.
Comments