Quebec Liberal Party unveils electoral platform, promising tax cut for middle class

The spring sessionat theNational Assemblyhadbarely come to an end before Quebec Liberal Leader Dominique Angladewent intoelection mode, kicking off her pre-election campaign and outliningher party'splatform for the Octoberelection on Saturday.

Some 400 PLQ party faithful attended agathering in Montreal for their general council meeting, where the PLQ revealed the cost of living will be at the heart of its election campaign, promising lowertaxes for the middle class tolessen their financial burden in the face of rising inflation.

"The question of cost of living is on everyone's lips," Anglade told reporters in a news scrum Saturday, criticizing Premier Franois Legault's response toinflation.

"We've been saying for months that we need to have measures that are long-term measures, not a cheque here and there, but something that is helping people and that is predictable."

A Liberal government would reduce taxes by 1.5 per centfor taxpayers earning less than$92,000 annually allowing people to save around $1,000 per year. This would cost the government around $2 billion per year.

In turn, those who earn $300,000 or more per year would see their tax rate increase by 2 per cent.

The PLQsaid the increase in the cost of living will be long-lasting, which justifies the tax adjustments.

One-time assistance, such as that offered by Legault's Coalition Avenir Qubecgovernment, is insufficientin enablingtaxpayers to adjust to inflation,saidAndr Fortin, the Official Opposition house leader.

"What he's proposing is a one-time, $500 payment, but really what Quebecers need is the assurance that year after year, they will pay less taxes,"Fortin said.

He said while the measure may cost a lot for the government, "there's a cost to Quebecers if we don't go ahead with a measure like this."

Carlos Leitao, former finance minister and current MNA for the West Island riding of Robert-Baldwin, said the Liberals' tax relief wouldnot result in cuts to public services.

Changes to Bill 96

A few weeks afterits adoption, Quebec's controversialFrench language lawwasa hot topic at the Liberal's general council meeting.

While the PLQ voted against Bill 96 which was "too far-reaching to be considered constructive," according to its election platform Angladesaid she supports some parts of the bill.

If elected, the party would keep in place the threeadditional French courses mandated for all CEGEP students.

"We would work with all the peopleinvolved in order to make sure that everything is done the right way," she said.

According to its election platform, the PLQ would favour a "more balanced approachthat will alsoimprove the quality of the French language."

The party would, among other things:

• Give students back the right to attend the CEGEP of their choice.
• Give the magistrature back the right to appoint judges according to their needs.
• Evaluate the administrative burden imposed on businesses by Bill 96.
• Remove the six-month timeframe imposed on immigrants for communicating with the government exclusively in French.
• Remove the notwithstanding clause,which protects Bill 96 from legal challenges.

Liberal MNA for Jacques-Cartier, Greg Kelley, admitted some Anglophone constituents are not happy.

"There are a lot of parents who said 'We're not against having more French in CEGEP ... we want our kids to be bilingual, we want them to improve their French,'" he said.

"But the way it's done ... they all say,'Can we have a better discussion on how it will work?'"

Key measures

Among the key measures of its platform, outlined in a 100-page document called the Liberal Playbook, the PLQ would invest $100 billion to reshape Quebec's economy in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

To do this, it would count oncreating government-owned green hydrogen production capacity.

The Liberals would alsomodernize Quebec's infrastructure, such as office buildings, houses, industrial and institutional buildings,to reduce energy waste by two thirds over the next 10 years.They would alsoincrease royalties on water charges by up to six times.

On the health care front, the PLQpromises a family doctor for every Quebecer. It also wants to invest $6 billion in the infrastructure of the health network and add 4,000 hospital beds.

Among other social measures, the PLQ promises to introduce a $2,000 annual seniors' allowance to support people over 70 who wish to remain at home.

Several measures are planned to help families. In addition to lowering taxes for the middle class, the PLQ promises to freeze electricity rates, remove the QST on basic necessities, eliminate the welcome tax for first-time homebuyers and improve the federal Home Buyers' Plan (HBP)

Here's the full Liberal platform released by the party on Saturday:

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