Quebec’s political parties are making their final pitches to voters with just days to go before the Oct. 5 provincial election. Indigenous issues, immigration and Quebec’s relationship with the monarchy were among the topics on the campaign trail Wednesday. Key details: Follow along for the latest updates: France-Élaine Duranceau compares PQ leader to Donald Trump With just a few days left in the campaign, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) is once again raising the specter of Donald Trump. This time, it was Minister France-Élaine Duranceau who compared PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to the U.S. president. “We’re starting to see PSPP’s [Paul St-Pierre Plamondon] true colours. When we don’t agree with him, it’s ‘fake news,’” she said Thursday, in reference to a term popularized by Trump. Duranceau made the comments during a press briefing in Montreal alongside her party leader, Christine Fréchette. In an op-ed interview with Le Devoir a few days ago, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said that “misinformation and distortion” of his remarks by the media and his political opponents were responsible for the deterioration of his image among certain immigrants. France-Élaine Duranceau launched a full-throttle attack against the PQ leader, asserting that “uncertainty” and “squabbling” would begin the very day after the election if the Parti Québécois (PQ) wins. She also pointed out that the PQ leader wanted to make “massive, across-the-board cuts to the civil service.” The Canadian Press PQ aims for majority in last days of campaign The leader of the Parti Québécois is asking voters to give him a majority government, as his party continues to lead in the polls with just days to go before the provincial election. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon delivered the message in separate morning radio show interviews in both English and French. He says he needs a majority government to get things done and to implement his program. In an interview with English-language radio station CJAD, St-Pierre Plamondon said his party was considering the scenarios of either a minority or majority PQ government as serious possibilities. St-Pierre Plamondon also told Radio-Canada today that his government would be handcuffed in a minority scenario, and called for a strong and stable government to reverse the damage from eight years of Coalition Avenir Québec leadership. - The Canadian Press Foreign interference: Fréchette admits she should have waited before reacting CAQ Leader Christine Fréchette admits that she reacted too quickly to reports of possible foreign interference by the United States in the Quebec election campaign. “I should have waited until I had more information before speaking out, and that’s what I would do differently,” she said in an interview with Patrick Lagacé on 98.5 on Thursday morning. - The Canadian Press. QS, Liberals still support high-speed rail; PQ opposed Québec Solidaire says it still supports the high-speed rail project between Quebec City and Toronto, even though the cost could end up being higher than expected. The Parliamentary Budget Officer in Ottawa estimates the project could cost between $75 and 113 billion. The federal government and Crown corporation Alto had estimated the cost at $60 to 90 billion. QS spokesperson Ruba Ghazal defended the project, arguing that the province has “a huge amount of catching up to do” when it comes to public transit, but urges Alto to handle “things as transparently as possible.” Quebec Liberal leader Charles Milliard sought explanations from the developer on the increased price tag. “I’d like to understand how these figures were arrived at, because it’s quite a drastic increase,” he said during a press briefing in Cowansville, Que. “But as far as the concept is concerned (...) at this stage, we are in favour of the high-speed rail project ... We believe it is an important economic and tourism development project.” Parti Québécois (PQ) leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon called it “worrying, in terms of the project’s seriousness, to have such fluctuations in the project’s value depending on the whims of the moment. Last June, St-Pierre Plamondon announced that a PQ government would withdraw Quebec from the high-speed rail project. It would ask the federal government to transfer the funds representing the province’s share of the project to it unconditionally so that they could be invested in other infrastructure projects. - The Canadian Press. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon wants anglos to vote for him Parti Québécois (PQ) Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon tells The Andrew Carter Morning Show on CJAD 800 why he thinks anglophones in the province should vote for him, despite his party’s push for a sovereigntist referendum. - Rachel Lau, CTV News digital journalist. PCQ wants 4 privately funded hospitals The Quebec Conservative Party (PCQ) says it wants to establish four new hospitals in Quebec, built and operated by the private sector. The party says it wants to further open the health care system to the private sector, though Quebec patients would be able to receive care free of charge using their health insurance card. To achieve this, the government “would purchase care through contracts.” “When the public sector cannot treat you within a medically reasonable timeframe, or when the private sector offers care at a lower cost, you should be able to see another qualified provider — including in the private sector — using your health insurance card,” said Leader Éric Duhaime. “Access to care should not depend on the size of your wallet.” - The Canadian Press. Milliard tries to win over undecided voters in Estrie Liberal Leader Charles Milliard is returning to Estrie in a last-ditch effort to win over undecided voters. The race is tight in the region, a former PQ stronghold, and it remains uncertain whether Milliard will secure a victory in his own riding of Orford. Since the start of the election campaign, Milliard has spent seven days in Estrie in the hopes of making significant gains there. - The Canadian Press. Day 36 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 slated to hold a press conference in front of the RAMQ building in Quebec City at 8:30 a.m. He will then take part in a march for seniors at 9:30 a.m. at Parc de la Francophonie. At 1:15 p.m., he will have lunch and visit the Galeries de la Capitale, and at 5:30 p.m., he will attend a campaign event at the Malt.Co brewery in Quebec City. Ruba Ghazal (Québec Solidaire) QS Spokesperson Ruba Ghazal is expected to hold a press briefing about housing measures at 9:30 a.m. at the pond at Ahuntsic Park in Montreal. At 6:15 p.m., she is set to meet with activists for the fifth Rendez-vous des possible at the Taschereau campaign office in Quebec City. Charles Milliard (Quebec Liberal Party) Liberal Leader Charles Milliard is expected to hold a press conference on his economic priorities at 10 a.m. at the Brome-Missisquoi-Perkins Hospital in Cowansville. He will then meet with stakeholders from the Estrie health care network at 10:30 a.m. before travelling to Sherbrooke to have lunch with party supporters at Caffucino Rock Forest at 12:30 p.m. and take part in the International Day for Seniors celebrations at Victoria Park at 2 p.m. At 3:30 p.m., he will mingle with the public at the Carrefour de l’Estrie, and at 6:25 p.m., he will do the same at the Léopold-Drolet Sports Palace before the Sherbrooke Phoenix hockey game. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon (Parti Québécois) PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is slated to start his day with a press briefing on access to drinking water at 10:45 a.m. in Plessisville. He will then have lunch at the Rétro-pop restaurant at 11:50 a.m. before taking a walk through Plessisville and stopping by Café Aléa at 12:40 p.m. At 2:30 p.m., he will hold a press scrum at the Quai de Sainte-Angèle in Bécancour and stop by the Ô Quai Des Brasseurs microbrewery at 4 p.m. Christine Fréchette (Coalition Avenir Québec) CAQ Leader Christine Fréchette is set to meet with residents at 1:20 p.m. at the Roussin Community Centre in Pointe-aux-Trembles. She is expected to then travel to Greater Montreal to meet with residents at Chez-nous des Artistes Inc. at 3:10 p.m. and visit the Bâton Rouge Grillhouse & Bar in Candiac at 5:30 p.m. The leaders
