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Quebec parties target health care, affordability as election nears
Parties are touting health care, daycare and fiscal plans as leaders spar over a possible referendum and voter concerns ahead of Quebec’s election.
On Saturday, one month before the Oct. 5 election, Coalition Avenir Québec Leader Christine Frechette and Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon campaigned on health care, spending, and daycare while debating Quebec independence.
Frechette pledged 25,000 reduced-fee daycare spaces for $750 million over four years, but Liberal Leader Charles Milliard accused her of misleading voters, noting only 5,000 spaces are entirely new.
Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime promised a digital plan saving $3.45 billion over five years, while Québec Solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal proposed 400 primary-care access points at $1.8 billion annually to relieve emergency rooms.
St-Pierre Plamondon proposed freezing salaries for MNAs and Crown corporation heads until a balanced budget, while defending his use of 'popular consultation' and 'referendum' interchangeably against Frechette's accusations.
Frechette argued this is the worst time for a referendum, accusing rivals of ignoring President Donald Trump's tariffs on Quebec's main trading partner during the campaign.