Quebec’s general election campaign has entered its second day with the leaders of the province’s five main political parties actively campaigning across the region. Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) Leader Christine Fréchette is focusing her efforts on the ridings of Rimouski, Bellechasse, Mégantic, and Beauce-Sud. Quebec Liberal Leader (PLQ) Charles Milliard is set to spend the day in the Eastern Townships region, starting with an economic announcement in Sherbrooke and moving on to Magog and Ayer’s Cliff in his Orford riding. Québec Solidaire (QS) co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal will be addressing grocery prices, the city’s quantum innovation zone, and transit workers in Sherbrooke before heading to Quebec City for an evening campaign launch in the Taschereau riding.
Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) Leader Éric Duhaime is commencing his day in La Peltrie, a riding in the Quebec City area, with plans to stay in the provincial capital, aiming for a breakthrough on election night on Oct. 5. Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon will be present in Victoriaville and Drummondville after starting his day on Montréal’s South Shore at the former site of the planned $7-billion Northvolt electric vehicle battery plant, which is considered a significant failure of the François Legault government.
On the first day of the campaign, each leader emphasized different messages, ranging from economic uncertainty and trade wars to sovereignty, affordability, and the need for political change. Fréchette highlighted navigating economic uncertainty due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and cast doubt on her opponent’s sovereignty referendum promise. St-Pierre Plamondon promised a campaign focused on ideas and solutions, delaying plans for a sovereignty referendum until after President Trump leaves office and criticizing the CAQ’s governance. Milliard positioned the Liberals as an alternative to both the CAQ and PQ, emphasizing unity, healthcare and education reform, financial recovery, and trade war resolution.
Ghazal, representing QS, centered her campaign on affordability, housing, and the environment, claiming QS is most in tune with Quebecers’ everyday concerns. Duhaime, the Conservative Leader, focused on economic freedom and affordability, proposing a significant tax cut and advocating for the elimination of interprovincial trade barriers.