François Legault is promising to give Quebecers another one-time cheque to help fight inflation.
While campaigning in Bellechasse on Monday, he said the CAQ government is offering to mail out cheques between $400 and $600 to help offset rising prices across the province, should he be re-elected this fall.
The one-time payment would be sent out to 6.4 million Quebecers in December and would cost the government $3.5 billion.
- You might also like:
- Quick Quebec politics: An easy crash course for upcoming provincial election
- Have a chuckle at these spot-on François Legault cartoons (PHOTOS)
- Legault: Quebec government "did what was necessary" to handle pandemic
“We listened to those who felt we should help more Quebecers who have fewer means,” said Legault in French. “The inflation of the last few months has greatly affected Quebecers. The grocery bill, the cost of gas, and all expenses cost more. Oppositions prefer to give discounts on gasoline or other goods. At the CAQ, we believe Quebecers should have the right to choose what to do with these amounts.”
Legault specified Quebecers who make less than $50,000 per year would receive $600 and those who make between $50,000 and $100,000 would get $400.
2e mesure du #Bouclier🛡️ contre l’inflation : un montant directement dans vos poches.
La #CAQ s’engage à verser 600 $ aux personnes qui gagnent moins de 50 000$ et 400$ pour ceux qui gagnent de 50 000 à 100 000$. Une mesure équitable!
Les détails 👉https://t.co/GIj6PJ297e pic.twitter.com/Z7RgkdGLOO
— François Legault (@francoislegault) August 29, 2022
This is the second time Legault has dangled cash to Quebecers as an election promise. In June, the CAQ government promised another $500 to citizens, if Legault got re-elected.
This past March, the CAQ handed out a one-time payment of $500 to every adult who paid taxes in 2021 across the province.
Opposition leader Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon (Parti Québécois) called out Legault’s initiative, saying this is “literally what we call buying the votes.”
Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade says it’s ill-mannered for Legault to wait until after the election to help Quebecers with inflation.
Opposition party Québec solidaire (QS), says offering one-time payouts to citizens is like managing potholes, claiming it’s just “patchwork.”
“If the inflation crisis lasts two or three years, what will François Legault do? Send checks every three months? It just doesn’t hold up, it’s a total lack of vision,” said the QS’s spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
Québec solidaire says it would help curb inflation by raising minimum wage throughout the province and capping the cost of rising rents.
Les aînés à faible revenu sont aussi touchés par l’inflation. On va les aider.
🎥Suivez-nous en direct!👉 https://t.co/29WXPRSLU6— François Legault (@francoislegault) August 30, 2022
Political parties in Quebec officially kicked off their respective campaigns on Sunday. Parties have 36 days to convince voters they’re the correct choice to lead the province.
Follow Channels and Categories