Everything the CAQ has promised to do if they won a majority government

François Legault and his Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) party will form the next majority government in Quebec. This is the CAQ’s first victory and a stunning defeat for the Quebec Liberals.

The party overtook the Liberals in the National Assembly by passing the 63 seats needed for a majority government.

The CAQ, which has positioned itself as centre-right on the political spectrum, is also the first new party to take power in the province since 1976.

Stemming from the 39-day election campaign, here is a quick recap of all the promises made by the now 32nd premier of Quebec, François Legault.

Economy

Regulate school taxes across Quebec
Export electricity to other provinces and the USA
Develop new technology
Supply high-speed Internet and improved mobile phone coverage to all regions

Education

Make pre-school free for 4-year-olds (not mandatory)
Create service centres run by school directors, teachers and parents
Closing of the traditional school boards
Increase the time for elementary school recess periods (minimum two 20-minute periods a day)
Increase high-school extracurricular activity options per day
Lobby for every school to built an engineering/architecture competition
Increase the number of student resources (speech therapists, psychologists, teachers)

Health Care

Guarantee every child has a family doctor
Develop screening tests for children under 5 years old for developmental disorders
Reconsider doctor’s income
Increase the hours to non-appointment CLSC visits on weekends and evenings
Make hospital parking lots free for guest’s first two hours (reduce to $7 -$10 a day)
Increase the legal age of purchasing marijuana to 21
Increase full-time nurse positions
Increase meal budgets and mandatory bath times at seniors’ homes
Put into action a new alert system to search for missing seniors

Identity

Prohibit religious symbols for all persons in a position of authority
Limit immigration, in part to protect French language.

Immigration

Enforce a French language and value test
Reduce the number of immigrants by 20% a year, starting in 2019
Lobby with Ottawa for full control of immigration

Sovereignty

Give Quebec full constitutional recognition as a nation
Appoint a French language commissioner to receive language complaints

Transit and Environment

Reduce greenhouse gas production in other areas by exporting environmentally friendly hydro energy
Turn Quebec’s St. Lawrence Valley into a Silicon Valley of sorts, for innovation
Set aside $10 billion to alleviate congestion (by 2030)
Commence a tramway project in the eastend of Montreal and the South Shore
Extend Montreal’s REM light-rail train to Laval and Chambly
Consider running Pink Line above-ground