It’s Day 26 of the Quebec election campaign, and many of the leaders are starting their week on the Island of Montreal. Voters head to the polls on Oct. 5. Key details: Follow along for the latest updates: A CAQ-Liberal coalition? CAQ Leader Christine Fréchette says she won’t rule out the idea of a coalition government with the Liberals to block a PQ-Conservative alliance. A few weeks ago, Liberal Leader Charles Milliard said “not in a million years” would he form a coalition with the CAQ. READ MORE: When asked about the same issue, Fréchette was less categorical. “We are continuing to explain our policies to Quebecers, and at the heart of those policies is the idea that we do not want a referendum,” she said. “There is one thing that really hasn’t changed, despite all the polls that have been carried out, and that is that Quebecers do not want a referendum. And with us, with the Coalition Avenir Québec, there will be no referendum. Let’s be clear.” Monday, the Liberal leader refused once again when questioned about the possibility of an alliance. “I’m in this campaign to win the election,” he said. “We have a party that wastes money, a party that exaggerates, and a party that wants to secede. I don’t identify with any of the three. So as for me, I’m going all in.” - The Canadian Press. Liberals call Conservatives economically ‘dangerous’ Liberal Leader Charles Milliard says he believes his party’s economic team is the best of the five main parties, adding that he considers the Conservative Party (PCQ) team to be “dangerous.” Milliard made the comment in response to a poll by Segma Recherche, which shows the Conservatives are one point behind the Liberal Party in voting intentions. - The Canadian Press. Québec Solidaire promises 50,000 social housing units Québec Solidaire is promising to build 25,000 units and withdraw an additional 25,000 homes from the current market for a total of 50,000 social housing units in its first term. The aim is to massively increase supply to decrease the price of other housing. READ MORE: The political party says it is not aiming for a single model, but various options such as co-operatives, non-profit organizations and social housing. The measure comes with an annual budget of $400 million, allocated to the Rent Supplement Program and reserved exclusively for the 50,000 tenants of these new off-market homes. - The Canadian Press. PQ denies PCQ alliance PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is rejecting comments from his opponents, accusing him of moving closer to the right to form an alliance with the Conservatives (PCQ) should a minority government be elected on Oct. 5. St-Pierre Plamondon acknowledged that his party shares some ideas and positions with Éric Duhaime’s PCQ, but insisted they differ on several points, including the issue of sovereignty. Whilst Duhaime has said he is prepared to work with a minority PQ government, Plamondon seems reluctant. - The Canadian Press. PQ wants to revive the REM East The PQ leader promised to revive the abandoned Eastern REM project in a new form. The PQ wants to award the construction contract to CDPQ Infra, a subsidiary of the Caisse. The goal would be to connect the Honoré-Beaugrand metro station to Pointe-de-l’Île, and then extend the project toward Repentigny. The project was abandoned in 2022. St-Pierre Plamondon wants the Caisse to use its expertise to build the public transit project, but he suggests not entrusting it with the operation of the system. The REM’s breakdowns have put CDPQ Infra on the defensive in the media on several occasions. “We also need to learn from what works,” the leader said. “That’s why we’re starting with the Caisse (for construction). We need to learn from what doesn’t work, and then open the door to operators who may be better positioned to do so.” Before abandoning the project, Premier François Legault had taken it out of the Caisse’s hands. By removing the connection to downtown, the project was no longer profitable for Quebecers’ savings. It’s worth noting that the Caisse must generate a return for its 48 investors, including the public pension plan for all Quebec employees (RRQ), the civil service pension plan, and the supplemental pension plan for construction industry employees. --The Canadian Press. Québec Solidaire trails in the polls Despite yet another poll placing her party at the bottom of voting intentions, Québec solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal says she remains steadfast. READ MORE: According to a Segma–Radio-Canada–Les Coops de l’information poll, the party is in last place, with 12 per cent of the vote. Nevertheless, with two weeks to go before the election, Ghazal says she believes a lot can still change. - The Canadian Press. Day 26 Here is where the party leaders are planning to start their day, in order of first appearance: Éric Duhaime (Quebec Conservative Party) Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime is expected to hold a press conference on an undisclosed topic at 7:30 a.m. outside the Maison de Radio-Canada in Montreal. He is then slated to hold another press conference at 3 p.m. at a different venue in Montreal. Christine Fréchette (Coalition Avenir Québec) CAQ Leader Christine Fréchette is expected to visit the Cabico factory in Coaticook at 9 a.m., followed by a press conference. Charles Milliard (Quebec Liberal Party) Liberal Leader Charles Milliard is set to begin his day with a visit to the Paccar factory in Sainte-Thérèse at 9 a.m., followed by a press scrum. At 7 p.m., he will attend a party rally at the Sheraton Hotel in Laval. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon (Parti Québécois) PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is slated to be on the Island of Montreal for a meeting at Agora Déclic at 9:30 a.m., with several candidates, and a press scrum at 10:10 a.m. At 1:30 p.m., he will hold a press briefing on the Eastern Development Project at the Honoré-Beaugrand Metro station alongside several candidates. Ruba Ghazal (Québec Solidaire) QS Spokesperson Ruba Ghazal is set to be on the Island of Montreal, holding a press briefing on social housing at Alphonse-Télésphore-Lépine Park at 10 a.m. She will then visit the Agora Déclic at 3 p.m. and take part in a local debate at 5050 Berri St. at 5:45 p.m. Co-spokesperson Sol Zanetti will take part in a local debate at 7 p.m. at the Jean-Guy Drolet Community Centre in Quebec City. The leaders
