The leaders of Quebec’s major political parties continue on the election campaign trail on Day 25. See the CTVNewsMontreal.ca Quebec Election 2026 page for complete coverage What you need to know ahead of election day in Quebec Key details: Follow along for the latest updates: Parti Québécois unveils measures to increase the birth rate The leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ), Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, has unveiled a series of measures to support parenthood, as his party ultimately aims to increase the birth rate in Quebec. The fertility rate for 2025 is one of the lowest the province has ever recorded, standing at 1.36 children per woman, according to the Institut de la statistique du Québec. The institute recorded a historic low in 2024, when the rate dropped to 1.35. At a press conference Sunday morning in Saint-Eustache, St-Pierre Plamondon argued that some studies estimate the rate could be as high as 1.9 if one took into account all those who wish to have children but cannot afford to do so. The measures proposed by the PQ leader are specifically aimed at addressing this gap. His party aims to create 10,000 spots in early childhood centers (CPEs) over four years, bringing the total number of new spots available by 2030 to 25,000. He also wants to encourage Quebecers to have large families and will offer family allowance bonuses of $700 for the third and fourth children. He also plans to enhance the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) so that the decision to have children is more “viable” for parents. Under this plan, parents could receive a minimum of $300 per week, and a PQ government would extend the period during which parents can receive benefits to three years. Fathers experiencing perinatal bereavement would also be eligible to receive benefits for four weeks. The party also promises to reimburse the costs of second and third rounds of in vitro fertilization. The Canadian Press Fréchette unveils Maritime strategy CAQ leader Christine Fréchette unveiled a maritime strategy on Sunday that includes $300 million in investments in port infrastructure and the St. Lawrence Corridor, as well as a $90 million fund to support the shipbuilding industry. At a press conference in Lévis, Ms. Fréchette unveiled her “Horizon Saint-Laurent 2027–2032” strategy, which aims, among other things, to diversify Quebec’s export markets and develop a Quebec shipbuilding cluster. A Fréchette government is committed to developing new trade corridors, starting with a Quebec–Europe–North Africa corridor based on the economic Francophonie, and to appointing a special envoy for the development of the St. Lawrence and maritime trade to attract investors and build partnerships. Along with the $300 million investment in port infrastructure and the St. Lawrence Corridor as part of its 2027–2032 strategy, the CAQ has set a goal of mobilizing nearly $2 billion in private and federal investments. Regarding the $90 million allocated to support the shipbuilding industry, the goal is to provide specific support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to “foster the emergence of a world-class industrial cluster, modeled after Quebec’s aerospace sector.” The CAQ also reiterated its promise to invest $26 million over four years to ensure the long-term viability of the river shuttle network in the Montreal area. The Canadian Press Regulating real estate brokerage industry Québec Solidaire (QS) wants to correct the “imbalance” in the real estate market by regulating the brokerage industry in order to protect buyers. Arguing that buyers—particularly first-time homebuyers—“are still at a disadvantage in the current market,” QS co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal announced on Sunday three measures her party would implement to cool the overheated real estate market. First, QS promises to require the disclosure of purchase offers received in order to put an end to blind auctions. The party also wants to cap brokerage commissions at the listed value of a property and reform the legal framework governing real estate brokerage. “Real estate agents should not enrich themselves at the expense of buyers, who are bearing the brunt of the housing market overheating,” said Ghazal during a press conference in a residential neighborhood of Saint-Hyacinthe, in the Montérégie region. “Right now, the real estate agents are calling the shots, and as we can see, it’s not working at all. We need to tighten the screws,” she added. These measures are in addition to those already announced by QS earlier in the election campaign to facilitate home ownership. The left-wing party had previously stated its intention to help first-time buyers of a primary residence priced below the median market value with a co-investment of up to 15 per cent of the value of a new home, or 5 per cent of the value of an existing home (up to $50,000). QS had also said it wanted to develop alternative models for home ownership. The Canadian Press Reform of forestry regime within a year A Liberal administration would introduce a reform of the forestry regime within a year. The leader of the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP), Charles Milliard, was in Dolbeau-Mistassini on Sunday morning to unveil his vision for Quebec’s forests. He criticized the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), which, during its eight-year tenure, “allowed the forestry regime to run out of steam,” according to him. Milliard denounced the damage left behind by former CAQ Minister Maïté Blanchette Vézina, who introduced a forestry reform that subsequently had to be withdrawn. “The CAQ didn’t deliver; the PCQ is taking in the one who didn’t deliver,” Milliard said. “We’re going to clean up their mess, because they tried to pull a fast one on Quebecers.” The Liberal leader also plans to make greater use of the government’s purchasing power to support the entire Quebec timber value chain. Quebec products would be systematically considered in construction, renovation, and infrastructure projects, he said. The Canadian Press Majority of Quebecers oppose shale gas A poll commissioned by the Parti Québécois reveals that 65 per cent of Quebecers would not want shale gas wells near their homes, citing risks to soil and groundwater, with a more pronounced divide on the issue among conservative voters. According to the poll conducted by the firm Segma among 1,070 Quebecers from September 3 to 5, 17 per cent of them would support such a project near their homes, and an equal number of respondents were undecided. The poll shows that 26 per cent of conservative voters would oppose this type of extraction near their homes. Nearly 47 per cent of Quebec Conservative Party (PCQ) voters would be in favor, and 27 per cent would be undecided. A majority of voters from other political parties responded that they oppose the presence of shale gas wells near their homes, with 87 per cent opposition among PQ voters, 75 per cent among Québec Solidaire (QS) voters, followed by voters for the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) and the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ), with 68 per cent and 61 per cent, respectively, opposing it. On Saturday, the release of a “Synopsis-La Presse” poll highlighted the divide in Quebec on this issue. It revealed that 38 per cent are in favor, while 37 per cent are against. Additionally, 25 per cent of those surveyed said they were undecided. The Canadian Press The leaders
