During the last provincial election, Quebecers spoke clearly – they never again want to hear about a referendum on sovereignty.
Appearing not to get the message, the five candidates for the Parti québécois leadership are proposing five different mechanisms for holding a referendum. Since they come from a party which is accustomed to division, they are fighting about the when, the how and how many votes the Yes option will receive, when the real question is “Why?”.
August 16, 2016
Today, Martine Ouellet has again failed to answer this question. When she launched her plan for eternal disputes, she tried to convince Quebecers that French is not their common language, that women and men are not equal in Quebec, that our rights and freedoms are not codified, and that religion is not separate from the State. She has deliberately chosen to take a vacation from the truth.
This, mind you, is the same candidate who says she is opposed to the development of hydrocarbons in Anticosti, whereas it is she, as Minister of Energy, with her colleagues Mr. Lisée, Mr. Cloutier, and Ms. Hivon, who were all ministers at the time, who signed contracts which bind Quebec to fracking taking place on an island. If it is willing to dissimulate the facts to that extent, is it any wonder that the PQ is out of touch with the realities experienced by Quebecers?
During this time, our Quebec Liberal Party government is addressing real issues. Our financial situation is in good standing, we are controlling spending, and our revenues are stable.
Our government is planning for the Quebec of the future. We do not want to leave future generations with our debts – we want to modernize our economy, and innovate in health care and in education. We wish to build a Quebec where anything is possible for each and every one of our fellow citizens. We will not be able to accomplish these goals by withdrawing from the world and creating a climate of suspicion. We will achieve what we have set out to achieve by focusing on our pride and on our confidence, by building alliances and by ensuring that we are open to diversity.
Jean-Marc Fournier
Member for Saint-Laurent, Minister responsible for Canadian Relations and the Canadian Francophonie and Government House Leader
