According to François Legault, what is the reality?
Posted at 6:00 am
It depends on the city where it is. His vision can be summed up in the following equation: the further he is from the National Assembly, the more he sees life in pink.
It was evident when spotted in Rivière-du-Loup on Friday.
In the assembly, Mr Legault is like any other prime minister: he suffers attacks from opposition parties and harsh questions from journalists. And when he listens to parliamentary committees, he gets criticism from experts. We are still looking for a city planner for the third road connection Québec-Lévis. And while the small business lobby supports the personal tax cuts, the majority of commentators have criticized them.
When Mr Legault is in Parliament he has the impression that everything is going wrong. And he doesn’t spot much optimism when he checks the news. One of his close advisors confirms that it is because he reads, listens to and watches them. This distinguishes him from Philippe Couillard, who preferred to leaf through The Economist and let those around him peruse the local press, lest media sentiment distract him from his long-term strategy.
When Mr. Legault has the blues, his team knows the cure: a trip to the field. The boss sees what the polls show: After almost five years in power, his popularity rating is strong. Even more than when he was elected in 2018.
Last Friday he made his first visit to a retirement home in Rivière-du-Loup, attended the opening of the Quebec Games and visited Premier Tech’s headquarters.
By looking at it distractedly, we thought we were seeing material for Infoman. He wore safety goggles, interrupted workers with personal questions, and allowed himself a few jokes followed by explanations.
But pay attention and you will understand something else. After a few minutes of conversation, he better understood the educational background and motivation of the employees as well as the needs of their employer. Not useless if you want to reform vocational training.
Mr Legault’s entourage say that every time he returns from the field, he knocks on his chief of staff’s door with a square sheet full of observations. For example, in 2018, after being repeatedly yelled at by seniors struggling to pay their bills, he was persuaded to increase the low-income benefit to $2,000.
Of course, none of this is very scientific…
Accompanied by the Sûreté du Québec squad, the prime minister did not go unnoticed. His encounters are not accidental. Above all, those who approach him are those who love him.
And anyway, even if the onlookers encountered by the CAQ guide were representative of the population, that would equate to popular sentiment. Rule by opinion polls.
We see it with the tax cuts. Not surprisingly, citizens want it. Mr. Legault also relies on what he hears from his private meetings with business leaders. This tax benefit increases the disposable income of their employees without having to increase their salary.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Prime Minister François Legault visited Premier Tech’s production site in Rivière-du-Loup on Friday. He was accompanied by Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Yves Goudreau (left), and Vice President, Manufacturing Operations, Sébastien Ouellet.
Mr. Legault had already made his decision, but his trip to Rivière-du-Loup confirmed his choice. This helps it stand up to the Association of Quebec Economists, the Institut du Quebec and even the Conseil du patronat, who do not advocate it.
MM. Legault and Couillard embody two opposite poles.
The Liberal leader was Cartesian and seemed far enough off the field, enough not to have seen the benefit cuts as a result of his budget cuts. The CAQ leader is influenced by the stories he hears firsthand.
It has been widely said that the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) has destabilized its opponents with its federalist and nationalist positioning. She slips between the PQ and the Liberals in the soft center of the electorate. The paid area.
But beyond the ideology, I also see a question of style. The CAQ is above all the party of its founder. His good nature has served him through the pandemic and remains conspicuous on the ground.
It is well known that economic developments excite him. In the Premier Tech factory he looked like a kid in the Bell Centre. A senior guide directing his visit addressed him cheerfully. With MM. Landry or Couillard, that would have been unimaginable.
This brings me back to the recent Léger poll, which was devastating for the Quebec Liberal Party. How to save this party that launched the Silent Revolution? Perhaps the solution will not be found just by thinking about values and public policies. It’s also a matter of tone. And the perception of a politician always depends on how he stands out from his opponents.
Will Mr Legault still be in the next election campaign? In an interview, he reiterated that that was his intention, provided he was healthy and still had the “support of Quebecers.” And to know if this is the case, the answer depends at least a little on the city where it is located.