Quebec Liberal leadership race: Economist Mario Roy shares his ‘big ideas’

Liberal leadership candidate Mario Roy makes his case for the post to CJAD 800 Radio host Elias Makos.

The race to lead the Quebec Liberal Party is winding down. Voting is set to take place between June 9 and 14.

CJAD 800 Radio spoke back to Mario Roy, an economist and a farmer from Beauce, bringing a fresh perspective to the Quebec Liberal leadership campaign, including plans to nationalize seniors’ homes.

Some answers have been edited for clarity.

Makos: So what’s your big bold idea, your number one big bold idea that you think defines your campaign?

Roy: I started my campaign with one idea, one proposition that is completely different from the others, and that’s going to be the number one that I’m bringing you today. I’m suggesting nationalizing residences for older people. The reason is that over the past decade we’ve lost a number of residences for older people all over the regions but all over Quebec. We’ve seen a lot of residences that have been closing over the past years, and I’m suggesting to nationalize them for two reasons.

One, we need to keep residences all over Quebec to make sure that older people can stay closer to their family all their life, basically. And we want people to stay closer to their family to make sure that they can stay in their region. And that’s one of the reasons why I’m suggesting it so we need to keep them open.

The second reason is to open more when we see a lack of residences all over Quebec.

• Listen on CJAD 800 Radio: Quebec Liberal leadership hopeful Mario Roy wants to nationalize seniors’ homes

Makos: Obviously, the population is aging and I think you’re speaking to a lot of people when you talk about some of those issues. But I do have to mention this, because the voting is very interesting for the Quebec Liberal Party leadership race, and there’s an outside share going to the youth wing of the party. I’m wondering if that may not be something that would resonate with a younger member of the party, and if there is something that you would say that you’re offering for that youth wing and for younger members of the Quebec Liberal Party.

Roy: Honestly, I’ve been clear with the younger people in the party. I’m 31 years old, as Robert Bourassa did in the past. I want to have a clear and big place for young people in the government as [MNA] or minister. But in terms of propositions, we need to have a vision for the future of the party. What I’m suggesting to the members and what will be on the campaign for 2026 is based on a vision for Quebec. It’s not based on the percentage of people voting for the party. So it’s pretty clear. I understand your reasoning about the fact that, yes, the younger people have a bigger place in the race in terms of voting, but I’m confident that they will see the vision in what I’m suggesting and they will come in.

Makos: I think it is interesting that you’re looking towards the vision and the platform to win in a general election, which will happen next year. Part of that is the Liberal Party Quebec needs to reconnect with Quebecers in the regions, also needs to reconnect with francophones. What’s your vision there? Your idea there to accomplish that?

Roy: Another really important thing that is happening right now is having access to health-care services. I’m coming from Beauce, I know the reality of the region and for the party. It’s clear that we need to reconnect to the people of the region, to the francophones. To do this, we need to bring solutions to what they really care about. And health-care services is one of the big issues happening right now, especially the farther you get from the cities, the higher the difficulty to get services.

I’m suggesting, as the Collège des médecins is suggesting, to bring back people from the private sector to the public health-care sector. Because right now, the public health-care sector is getting destroyed by people leaving the sector, and I can understand this, because they have better working conditions.

Makos: How are you going to get them back?

Roy: We need to have leadership from the provincial party, as they have done for the people finishing their studies, and they are asking them to stay in the public health-care sector for five years. I’m telling all people, as we’ve done, we have done by Robert Bourassa when we created that public health-care system, we created it for a simple reason: to make sure that everybody receives their health-care service, no matter where they’re from, no matter how much money they have, and that’s one of the reasons why I’m in the race is to bring to make sure that we save that public health-care system.

To do this, we need to first bring people back to the system because if we want to do surgeries, we need the people. If they leave, there’s no way we can solve it. So right now, the CAQ government is trying to basically resolve an issue, but they are not looking at the sources of the problem, which is people leaving. I’m the only one in the race to bring back people in the public health-care system and make sure that everybody has a family doctor.

Makos: Seniors care, health care — these are costly things you’re going to need revenues to pay for that. You’re an economist. You’ve got this farming background. What is your bold idea on fixing Quebec’s economy to make us a prosperous place that can pay for social programs?

Roy: We need to reduce paperwork, bureaucracy in general, in the government to make sure that we have public services that are efficient, first. Second, we need to create wealth. In order to do this, we have natural resources that we need. I’m suggesting to take them in the here instead of importing them, to create wealth, but in order to create wealth for the government and to pay for our services, I’m suggesting to nationalize natural gas instead of importing it, because right now, there’s some conversation about the fact that we should look at a project — and I’m open to it — because everything that is consumed here should be transformed and produced here. That’s my vision.

In order to create that wealth for the government, the money needs to stay off the credit cards. And in order to do this, we need to nationalize natural gas. That’s one thing that I’m suggesting to make sure that we have money and that that money stays with the Quebecers. I’m also suggesting removing the inter-provincial barriers, and having a real collaboration with the federal government about everything related to natural resources. We have the opportunity right now with the federal government, they are just waiting for us. We need to collaborate to make sure that we have a project that will be beneficial for Quebec, but for all of Canada. And by the way, I’m also suggesting to sign the Quebec constitution, which I’m the only one, again, to do it. The collaboration with the federal government is crucial if we want to have a Quebec that functions within Quebec and with the rest of Canada, because that’s basically essential, and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t have signed this constitution by now.