After a long crisis in recent months, the Legault government will try to turn things around and win back popular favor in 2024. But nothing is a foregone conclusion: entering its sixth year in government, several public services are still on the verge of collapse, and the CAQ team needs to show that its reforms are bearing fruit.
• Also read: Health care reform: Bill 15 is approved subject to conditions
• Also read: Legault's unpopularity is due to his poor 2022 campaign
What will Santé Québec look like?
Archive photo, Stevens LeBlanc
After adopting his health network reform, Minister Christian Dubé must now introduce Santé Québec, a public body that will be responsible for the entire operational aspect of the ministry. This new body must be officially established six months after the law comes into force. We should therefore find out in the spring the identities of the famous “top guns” that the government wants to recruit to run the new agency. The Dubé reform also provides for the creation of a structure that allows workers to help in regions with labor shortages. Quebec must also reach an agreement with medical professionals to allow them to carry out specific activities according to the needs of each region.
A new transport agency
Archive photo, QMI Agency
In the same spirit as Santé Québec, Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault should introduce a bill to establish a new agency to independently manage the province's major road infrastructure and public transport projects.
Reform of the construction industry
Archive photo, Stevens LeBlanc
In the construction industry there are always delays and costs. To counteract this phenomenon, Labor Minister Jean Boulet wants to ensure that certain tasks can be shared between around fifteen construction trades and avoid the need for seven trades to replace a door. In the coming months he will introduce the bill to modernize the construction industry, which he has been working on since last spring.
Energy sobriety
Photo Martin Alarie
In February, Super Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon will finally present his clean energy regulation bill, promised for more than a year, to address the electricity shortage the government expects in the coming years. While Mr Fitzgibbon has repeatedly stressed the need for a change in consumer habits and has even opened the door to a review of housing prices, Hydro-Québec prefers to stick to the carrot. and promises a host of measures to promote better use of electricity. François Legault promised to limit the increase in housing costs to 3% per year.
Finally a plan for language?
Photo agency QMI, Joël Lemay
Minister Jean-François Roberge enthusiastically promised last January that an action plan to stem the decline of French would be presented “no later than” in the autumn. However, the fruits of the work of the “Action Group for the Future of the French Language” are slow in coming and we will have to wait a few more weeks before we can measure them, while this should be the case with the “Roberge Plan”. Presented shortly.
Race for the PLQ
FRIENDLY PHOTO
The PLQ's new leader won't be elected until spring 2025, but if a race actually needs to be held to avoid a coronation, candidates will have to be in the starting blocks this year. The only person who has currently publicly expressed interest in the position is MP Frédéric Beauchemin, who is currently expelled from the Liberal group over allegations of bullying fraud.