After two back-to-back debates, the party leaders are back on the campaign trail. Voters in Quebec head to the polls on Oct. 5. Key details: Follow along for the latest updates: Homelessness crisis under the spotlight on day 22 of election campaign The homelessness crisis took centre stage on the 22nd day of the election campaign. The discovery of a baby at the homeless encampment on Notre-Dame Street in Montreal last Friday – which was revealed on Wednesday – prompted reactions from the aspiring premiers. The leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ), Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, expressed concern at the scale of the homelessness crisis. He described the situation as “embarrassing” for “a wealthy society” such as Quebec. In his view, this “serious failure” to address the rise in visible homelessness is due to the fact that “the response was lacking” under the CAQ government. The leader of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ), Charles Milliard, for his part, called on “all elected representatives to take action because there have been serious failings and we are talking about human lives being lost”. He emphasized “the importance of tackling the issue of homelessness”. The leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), Christine Fréchette, was visibly moved by the discovery of the toddler. “We must do everything in our power to prevent this from happening again,” she said, noting that her government is working on a provincial plan to tackle homelessness. The spokesperson for Québec solidaire, Ruba Ghazal, said she was also shocked by the news. “I’m talking about it and I’m still shaken,” said Ghazal. She believes that, to tackle homelessness, we need “investment, firm political will and money – not just fine words and wishful thinking”. Describing the situation as “totally unacceptable”, the leader of the Quebec Conservative Party (PCQ), Éric Duhaime, called for solutions to be found, stressing that a camp does not constitute one. “It is not alternative accommodation. We must condemn the fact that this is on the rise and ensure that encampments across Quebec are removed as quickly as possible,” he said. It should be noted that the five main political parties have committed to organizing a provincial summit on homelessness next spring, as suggested by former Premier Pauline Marois and some thirty other public figures last May. The Canadian Press $20 prizes at a bingo night are ‘typical of the CAQ’, says St. Pierre Plamondon The case of an outgoing CAQ MP handing out $20 notes to voters at a bingo hall is indicative of the methods used by the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), according to PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. The Journal de Québec revealed on Thursday that on Sept. 8, the MNA for Rousseau, Louis-Charles Thouin, handed out $20 and $10 notes as prizes to the winners of a bingo game organised for senior citizens. The MNA even admitted to the incident. Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday afternoon in Québec City, St-Pierre Plamondon said that voters have had enough of the CAQ’s habit of failing to respect people’s intelligence. In his view, this practice of buying votes and making promises without keeping them is typical of the CAQ. He did not go so far as to call for the candidate’s withdrawal. A withdrawal would have unfortunate consequences for the CAQ, as the deadline set by Élections Québec for submitting his candidacy was Thursday at 2 p.m., meaning the party would be unable to put forward another candidate. Thouin was elected in 2018 and 2022 for the CAQ in Rousseau. The Canadian Press CAQ commits to affordable veterinary care The Coalition Avenir Québec announced Thursday its commitment to making veterinary care more affordable. The party says it will require clinics to display prices for a range of common services, strengthen rules against sales targets, and give more responsibilities to animal health technicians and pharmacists to help lighten the workload of veterinary surgeons and reduce costs for clinics. “More than one in two households in Quebec has a pet. However, the veterinary market is becoming increasingly concentrated in the hands of large groups, and sharp price rises have been observed in recent years,” the party’s leader, Christine Fréchette, wrote in a press release. “For many Quebecers, a pet is a member of the family. When it falls ill, the instinct is to treat it. No one should be faced with an impossible choice because the bill is rising too quickly. People need to be able to find out how much it costs, compare prices and make a decision without feeling that their love for their pet is being used against them. It’s a question of choice, trust and fairer prices.” This commitment aims to ensure pet owners can compare prices among clinics, ensure clinics recommend treatment or products in the animal’s best interest rather than meeting sales targets, and improve access to affordable medicines for pet owners. Robin Della Corte, CTVNewsMontreal.ca Digital Reporter Quebec ‘monitoring’ 30,000 jobs vulnerable to tariffs: Fréchette Outgoing Quebec premier Christine Fréchette says the government is “closely monitoring” 30,000 jobs across some 60 companies reportedly vulnerable to tariffs imposed by U.S. Donald Trump’s administration. READ MORE: “It’s not 30,000 jobs that are at risk,” she clarified. “Because in each of these companies, it is likely only a portion of the workforce that would be at risk as a result of the tariff war.” She did, however, warn that the list “could grow” if the trade dispute escalates. “So far, we’ve managed the crisis well,” she said. “I’m on the ground; I know the economy.” The Canadian Press Liberals promise to strengthen CLSC network The Quebec Liberals are promising to strengthen the province’s local community services centre (CLSC) network. Liberal Leader Charles Milliard is pledging to inject $200 million into the network so CLSCs can once again become true “anchor points” in their communities. People seeking care should be able to rely on their CLSCs to direct them to the best resource and support them throughout their journey, he said. “I’m thinking of a young person struggling with anxiety, or a parent who can see their child isn’t well and doesn’t know where to turn,” the Liberal leader said. “Mental health, in particular, must not be a separate pathway; it must be an integral part of primary care.” The Canadian Press PQ accuses CAQ of lacking political will on homelessness PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is criticizing what he calls the CAQ government’s lack of political will on homelessness, following the discovery of a toddler at the Notre-Dame encampment in Montreal. Police recovered the one-year-old child from the encampment last Friday, and the child has been taken into the care of youth protection (DPJ). Liberal Leader Charles Milliard also expressed concern about the situation, but did not advocate for the camp to be cleared. The Canadian Press Day 22 Here is where the party leaders are planning to start their day, in order of first appearance: Ruba Ghazal (Québec Solidaire) QS Spokesperson Sol Zanetti is slated to participate in a rally for a family facing deportation at 7:30 a.m. in the car park of Saint-Fidèle-de-Sigmaringen Church in Quebec City. Co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal will present measures to support families at 1:15 p.m. at Belvédère Park in Sherbrooke. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon (Parti Québécois) PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is slated to hold a press conference at 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Montréal-Longueuil before having lunch at Roy Jucep in Drummondville at 10:15 a.m. At 2 p.m., he has a meeting scheduled with the Communauté métropolitaine de Québec. Charles Milliard (Quebec Liberal Party) Liberal Leader Charles Milliard is set to make a health-related announcement at 10 a.m. at the Pergola des Vétérans in Lac-Mégantic before giving an interview to CBC at 10:30 a.m. He will meet with the ‘L’avenir naît ici’ citizens’ committee at Mégantic Hospital at 11:15 a.m. followed by a press scrum at 11:45 a.m. At 2 p.m., he will visit the Érablière Plaisirs Sucrés in Sainte-Marie and at 5:15 p.m., he is due to give an interview on BLVD FM in Quebec City. Christine Fréchette (Coalition Avenir Québec) CAQ Leader Christine Fréchette will visit aluminum company ALLU MC3 at 11 a.m. in Sainte-Julie before visiting the Mira Foundation in Sainte-Madeleine at 1 p.m. She is expected to meet with residents at the Restaurant Express du Sud at 5:15 p.m. in Charny. Éric Duhaime (Quebec Conservative Party) Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime is set to visit the company Ouellet Canada at 12:30 p.m. in l’Islet. He will hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. in Saint-Pierre-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud before taking part in a campaign event at Dooly’s in Donnacona at 5 p.m. and attending the launch of Réjean Tremblay’s book at 7 p.m. in Lac-Beauport. The leaders
