A nationalist dodge, a federalist dodge, a dealer dodge: it’s hard to drive straight to a destination when you’re constantly spinning around.
This “four-point tension” in all directions, this non-stop juggling with balls, these triple returns, this has been the behavior of François Legault for some time.
Where are François Legault and his government going these days if not everywhere and nowhere at the same time?
“The most important thing is not the destination but the journey,” says a saying that lines our social media, often with a white dove in the corner. At CAQ, we seem to be inspired by that.
Try to define the government’s current policy. Where does he want to go? Excuse me, sorry, where is he “next” going?
Let’s take immigration.
This week we pulled out the Caquist guns to discuss hypothetical scenarios for future immigration thresholds.
The entire nationalist cabal was there: the Prime Minister himself, Christine Fréchette of the Immigration Service, and Jean-François Roberge of the French Service.
Why are all these wonderful people discussing hypotheses and future consultations?
Exodus to the PQ
Because we wanted to prepare public opinion for an increase in the thresholds, which we do not announce as such, because the CAQ fears that its voters will migrate to the Parti Québécois.
An increase, perhaps justifiable, but which was never expressed or defended during the election campaign.
In fact, we were quite “somewhere else” twice at the CAQ.
Election 2018: The CAQ struggled with the theme “Take less, but take care of it”. He promised to lower the thresholds to 40,000 a year.
A year later, he raised it to the pre-2018 threshold.
Election 2022: François Legault spent the election campaign practicing judo against immigration.
According to the Prime Minister, raising the thresholds is suicidal.
The government is now aiming to raise these thresholds.
In a matter of months, therefore, the issue of immigration has gone from being of vital importance to the nation to being a remedy for the decline of the French.
Imagine that. Look at what their position will be tomorrow.
We face a whirlwind of forward-retreat-forward-forward-backward on an issue that deserves care and a clear political line. What pedagogy and caution deserves. Who deserves strategy and, above all, height?
The same can be said of the wage increase that the CAQ intends to pass.
In opposition, the CAQ took essentially the same position as their contemporary opponents, the QS and PQ. This should not be done because of liberal austerity measures, it should not be done without considering MPs’ total pay, they said.
The CAQ had never spoken of a salary increase before 2022.
Now we are rushing to enact this increase before the summer, even if it means going beyond the usual consultations. And do not answer questions from opposition parties.
Imagine that.
We could go on for a long time: the third link, Louisiana, its state health and immigration demands, the reform of the electoral system…
political reality
What does Francois Legault believe in? What destination does he want to fly to on the CAQ plane?
Of course, power requires an adjustment to reality, which sometimes causes adjustments and promises to be postponed indefinitely.
But the reality, the CAQ seems to forget it, it’s also what we said and promised.
