Quebec MNAs prepare for political showdown in lead-up to October election

The Quebec National Assembly kicks off its last session before the Oct. 1 election today and straight out of the gate, Premier Philippe Couillard is warning that it is going to be busy.

Quebec's lawmakers have 47 days to propose new laws, pass attention-grabbing motions and make pithy quips in the hallways before the summer break. Then, on Aug. 29, the election campaign officially begins.

Couillard, for one, plans to make use of every opportunity.

"We still have a lot to do," he said in a news conference Thursday, flanked by his popular finance minister, Carlos Leito, at the end of a two-day Liberal strategy session.

"We will govern actively, right up until the last day of our mandate."

To underscore the point that they were rolling up their sleeves, they and almost all the men in the Liberal caucus doffed their ties and left the topbuttons of their shirts undone.

With a healthy economy and plenty of money in the provincial coffers, it might appear that the ruling Liberals have a chance to relax.

The Couillard government does have one last budget to unveil this spring.

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After last year's emphasis on income and school tax cuts, the Liberals are indicating they will now shift their emphasis toward solving transportation and traffic problems, implementing theiranti-poverty plan and improving the quality of life for Quebec families.

"It's time, oxygen,breathing room not just financial, but also in their daily lives: that's what families want," Couillard said Thursday.

However, the ruling party still has to coax its existing bills through the legislature, many of which have the potential to ruffle feathers. Thoseincludechanges to the province's road safety laws, the reorganization of theschool tax system, and the smooth introduction of legal cannabis to Quebec society.

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Apit bull ban alsolingers on the National Assembly's list of proposed legislation, although that bill has gone nowhere since it was introduced last April.

3-way battleground

The Liberals' political challengers are also eager to land a few blows against the government.

However,the Parti Qubcois and the Coalition Avenir Qubec are also competing against each other, especially on questions of identity and language.

Those issues are often seen as the Quebec Liberal Party's Achilles heel, since the party must strike a delicate balance between not offending its multicultural base in Montreal and keeping onside francophone voters in the regions in ridings it'sholding onto by its fingernails.

Last session, the Couillard government made two attempts to get ahead of the PQ and the CAQ on those issues, passing Bill 62, a ban on giving and receiving public services while wearing a face covering such as the Islamic niqab, and by supporting a motion against the use of the common Montreal greeting "Bonjour-Hi."

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Both sparked an angry backlash.

The CAQ and the PQ could be expected to spearhead similar issues. For the Parti Qubcois, a hard-hitting identity or language controversy invigorates supporters and attracts headlines.

At the same time, the CAQ will try to siphon away votes from the PQby championing the same issues.

The three parties are also preparing to stake out their positions on the right-versus-left continuum, with the CAQ committing to further tax cuts, while the Parti Qubcois promises to strengthen government services.

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Who to watch

Rank-and-file MNAs are likely to be both a help and a hazard for their parties in the final stretch to Oct. 1.

Gerry Sklavounos, kicked out of the Liberal caucus after a sexual assault accusationfor which he was not charged,still represents theriding of Laurier-Dorion. He could give the Liberals a prolonged political hangover if he decides to try to hold ontohis seatin the coming election.

Former Liberal Pierre Paradis, who was alsoaccused of sexual misconduct but not charged, is in a similar situation in the riding of Brome-Missisquoi.

UPAC could also still potentially lay charges against Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette, who was arrested last October aspart of an investigation into police documents leakedto the media.

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Health Minister Gatan Barrette could cause another kind of problem for the reigning Liberalswith his habit of repeatedly clashing with other players in the health care sector. Opposition parties have been making the controversial minister a centrepiece in their campaigns against the government.

Meanwhile on the opposition benches,GatanLelivre, once aPartiQubcoisminister, has been sitting as an independent for the riding of Gasp for nearly a year because of conflict of interest questions. Should he choose to run again, hecould also drag down his formerparty in one of its few safe seats.

Quebecers have been learning in recent weeks not to rule out the role formerPQleader and media magnate Pierre KarlPeladeaucould play this election year. PKPcontinues to throw in his two centson Quebec's political affairsvia his Twitter accountand has been openly toying with the idea of a return to politics.

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Any of these personalities could continue to draw headlines away from the CAQ, but it's unlikely leader Franois Legault has any complaints about that.

The CAQ has managed to avoid serious scrutiny, even though it has been at the top of the polls for months.