Why a 'love story' with Mark Carney is François Legault's only hope
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OTTAWA — Quebec Premier François Legault was on fire last weekend.
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The man who is clearly and unequivocally the most unpopular premier in Canada, according to the latest Angus Reid poll, stood before the future of his party, the members of the youth wing of the Coalition Avenir Québec, smiling and ready to fight.
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'I want to fight more than ever! For a third term, to finish the job!' he roared. 'I need you to continue building Quebec for future generations,' he added.
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But the polls suggest that the fight seems lost for Legault, known for years as the country's most beloved premier. And for the man who has made a punching bag of the federal Liberal government, it's a cruel twist of fate that Prime Minister Mark Carney may be the only person who can save the Quebec premier.
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With nearly a year to go until the election, the man who won one of the largest majorities in Quebec's history, with 90 out of 125 seats, is facing a massacre. According to the latest Angus Reid report, only a quarter of Quebecers approve of his performance. In March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, his approval rating was 77 per cent.
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'Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the CAQ wins zero seat in next year's election,' said a CAQ insider that was granted anonymity to speak more freely out of fear of repercussions.
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The man behind the poll aggregator Qc125.com, Philippe J. Fournier, is almost convinced that if there were an election today, the CAQ would not have party status.
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'Currently, Mr. Legault is in a situation that is similar or even perhaps a little worse than (then prime minister) Justin Trudeau in December,' he told National Post.
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His government has faced numerous controversies over the past two and a half years. Right now, he is being hit on all fronts for his government mismanagement in the health, energy, transport and finances files.
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The public, it seems, has simply had enough of this government and no longer trusts it.
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Legault sees things differently and presents himself as the nationalist and economic candidate. But the road ahead isn't smooth.
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On the one hand, the separatist Parti Québécois has comfortably taken the lead and is garnering all the attention with a leader who remains perfectly clear about his intentions during the first mandate of a PQ government. Yes, this is a referendum on Quebec independence.
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Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Quebec Liberals choose Pablo Rodriguez as new leader
Without a full-time leader since 2022, the party now turns its attention to the next provincial election. Published Jun 14, 2025 • Last updated 3 minutes ago • 6 minute read Pablo Rodriguez gives a speech at the Quebec Liberal Party Leadership Conference in Quebec City on Saturday, June 14, 2025. Joel Ryan/The Canadian Press QUEBEC — The Quebec Liberals have elected former federal Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez as the new leader of their party. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account On the second round of voting because no candidate achieved a majority of 50 per cent plus one in the first, Rodriguez narrowly beat out his last contender, Charles Milliard, the former president of the Fédération des chambre de commerce du Québec, on Saturday. Rodriguez, who had been considered the front-runner in the contest over the last weeks, won the leadership with 195,473 points or 52.3 per cent of the vote. Milliard was not far behind, earning 178,527 points or 47.7 per cent of the vote. Rodriguez succeeds leader Dominique Anglade, who resigned in 2022 after delivering the worst electoral score in the history of the party. Rodriguez becomes the 15th full-time leader of the 157-year-old political party. The last time the Liberals elected a leader was in March 2013 when Philippe Couillard defeated two opponents, winning the vote with 58.5 per cent of the vote on the first ballot. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Anglade was crowned leader in May 2020 after her lone opponent pulled out. To the surprise of many, former Roberval MNA and party veteran Karl Blackburn did not survive beyond the first ballot. He placed third with 103,265 points or 27.6 per cent. Milliard beat him narrowly with 107,345 points or 28.7 per cent, allowing him to face Rodriguez in a final round. Rodriguez got 145,878 points or 39 per cent of the vote, not enough to win on a first ballot. The other two candidates in the race, Marc Bélanger, a Matane lawyer specializing in tax law, and Mario Roy, a Beauce farmer and economist, also failed to get over the first ballot vote and were dropped. Bélanger got 14,659 points or 3.9 per cent of the vote. Roy got 2,853 points or 0.8 per cent of the vote. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Under the election regulations, only the top two candidates, Rodriguez and Milliard, were left on the ballot for the final tabulation of votes. It was based on the Liberal members' second and third candidate preferences. The party opted for a preferential two-round voting system, which made predicting the results very difficult. Each of Quebec's 125 ridings had the same clout in the vote with each assigned 3,000 points. Of the total, 1,000 points were reserved for youth members. To win, a candidate needed a majority of the 375,000 points. Failing to do so would spark a second round of counting, but the three candidates with the lowest scores were dropped off. But the wait for the second ballot to be tabulated, which was supposed to be 15 minutes, dragged on longer than planned with delegates taking turns cheering for their candidates. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The vote came at the end of a one-day leadership convention held at the Centre des congrès in Quebec City. The race was between five candidates. About 750 Liberals were in attendance. While most Liberals had voted by phone or internet, some waited because they wanted to cast their ballots in person at the convention. Each of the candidates were thus given time to make a last pitch for their support in morning speeches. First up was Roy, who, during the last of the debates, announced he would not rally to the winner regardless of who it was. On Saturday, his tone had changed and he thanked each of them by name. Candidate Bélanger called upon his two sons to address the crowd about their dreams for a better future. The three top contenders, Rodriguez, Blackburn and Milliard, pulled out all the stops, each opening their speeches with slick videos and loud cheerings from supporters wearing scarves and waving signs. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. All three pledged to run for the Liberals in the 2026 general election whether they won the leadership or not. Rodriguez repeated that he left federal politics because he was worried about the future of Quebec. He said it is 'fundamental' that a premier govern for all Quebecers. 'We deserve more than a premier who divides to conquer,' Rodriguez said. 'No matter your name, your religion or where you come from, this is your home. This is your home because a Quebecer is a Quebecer is a Quebecer.' 'I am not promising miracles,' Milliard said. 'I am not a magician. But I can promise you one thing. I will fight with you and for you all the way. We have to beat the CAQ and block the PQ, but above all we have to start dreaming again in Quebec.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Blackburn blasted Legault for pursuing a policy of division in Quebec. 'I want to be able to bring all Quebecers together,' he said in English. 'When we work together we are stronger than ever.' On hand to witness the event were former leaders Daniel Johnson, Jean Charest, Couillard and Anglade. But the focus of the day was on electing the leader. As of Friday evening, with about 60 per cent of votes cast, the handlers of the five candidates said they had no idea how the vote would go Saturday. The convention vote caps a very long leadership race that formally lasted six months but informally has been underway for nearly three years. Having lost to the CAQ in 2018 and 2022 and faced with four long years in opposition, the Liberals took a go-slow approach to finding a new leader. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For a time there was speculation no candidates would want to step up and run given the moribund state of the party, which was reduced to 20 MNAs in the election and currently has 19 seats mostly in the Montreal area. The Liberals in 2022 earned less than 15 per cent of the vote. The party, nevertheless, formed the official opposition, which means it has a larger operating budget and gets to ask most of the questions to the government in the legislature. It also launched a detailed overhaul of its policies, which the new leader may or may not choose to implement. The biggest problem the Liberals face is that they remain on the outs with francophone voters in the regions. Rebuilding that trust becomes the first task of the new leader. In the last Léger poll published May 14 in the Journal de Montréal, the Liberals were polling at 10 per cent among francophones alone. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The PQ had the support of 42 per cent of francophones while the CAQ had 23 per cent. The overall standings placed the PQ first in voter intentions with 33 per cent of the vote, followed by the Liberals with 21 per cent and the CAQ 20 per cent. The Quebec Conservatives had 13 per cent, and Quebec solidaire had 10 per cent. On the bright side for all the opposition parties, the same poll revealed 63 per cent of Quebecers want a change of government. The poll also showed support for the Liberals would soar to 31 per cent under the leadership of Rodriguez. Under Blackburn, Liberal support would be 25 per cent and 21 per cent with Milliard at the helm. The Léger poll was conducted from May 9-11 and is based on the opinions of 1,051 persons 18 years and over. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The legislature resumes sitting Sept. 16, but for now the new leader does not have a seat and will have to name an MNA as interim opposition parliamentary party leader. That job has belonged to Marc Tanguay since Anglade left. Some Liberals think that there is no rush for the leader to get a seat. Since the Liberals have seats in the legislature, they are still allowed to invite in their leader so he can hold news conferences to comment on the events of the day. There is one seat currently vacant, Arthabaska, in central Quebec but it is not a good fit for the Liberals, which have not elected anyone there since 2008. The PQ, Conservatives and Québec solidaire have already named their candidates. The race is expected to be between PQ candidate Alex Boissonneault and Conservative Éric Duhaime, who is the party leader and trying to get a seat in the house for a second time. The premier has until September to call the byelection. This report will be updated. World Sunshine Girls Golf Columnists Sunshine Girls
Toronto Sun
6 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
GOLDSTEIN: Liberals' clean energy crusade has been a super disaster
The U.S. has cut emissions at almost double Canada's rate, without imposing a national carbon tax Get the latest from Lorrie Goldstein straight to your inbox Prime Minister Mark Carney answers a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Photo by Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS Before Prime Minister Mark Carney attempts to turn Canada into a clean energy superpower he needs to explain why a decade of Liberal government policies intended to achieve this have been a massive failure on every front. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account According to the Liberal government's own estimate, as of April 2023 it had spent or committed over $200 billion of taxpayers' money to 149 government programs addressing climate change. In terms of the primary goal of this spending, reducing Canada's industrial greenhouse gas emissions to at least 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, the latest available government data from 2023 shows emissions were just 8.5% below 2005 levels. Achieving the Liberals' 2030 target will require the equivalent of eliminating all annual emissions from Canada's transportation and building sectors in seven years, which would inevitably cause a massive recession. When environmental commissioner Jerry V. DeMarco audited 20 of the government's 149 programs, he found fewer than half were on track to achieve their goals and of 32 additional measures the government claimed would assist in reaching the 2030 target, only seven were new. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. His audit uncovered examples where two different government programs were funding the same projects and reporting the same expected emission cuts, raising the possibility of double counting. Read More DeMarco said the government's lack of transparency in reporting emissions made it impossible for the average citizen to understand its claims. The computer modelling used to estimate emissions was also out of date and 'recent decreases to projected 2030 emissions were not due to climate action taken by governments, but were instead because of revisions to the data used in modelling.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. DeMarco noted that aside from falling far short of its emission targets, Canada has the worst record of reducing emissions of any member of the G7, including the U.S. The U.S. has cut emissions at almost double Canada's rate, without imposing a national carbon tax. In terms of getting value for money, auditor general Karen Hogan reported last year that in one of the government's 149 climate programs – the now-disbanded $1-billion Sustainable Development Technology Fund – there were 90 cases where conflict-of-interest rules were ignored in awarding $76 million worth of government contracts and 10 cases where $56 million was awarded to ineligible projects. DeMarco reported last week that despite spending over $6.6 billion on government programs to help Canadians adapt to more severe weather caused by climate change since 2015, the Liberals' national adaptation strategy, released in 2023, lacked essential elements to make it effective and progress since then has been slow. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux last year estimated the cost of government subsidies to Canada's auto sector to manufacture electric vehicles and batteries at up to $52.5 billion on 13 major projects – $31.4 billion, or 60%, paid by federal taxpayers and $21.1 billion, or 40%, paid by provincial taxpayers in Ontario and Quebec. That's $6.3 billion more than the announced investments of $46.1 billion the auto sector is contributing to these projects, with many now delayed due to slower than anticipated EV sales. While Canada's employment rate and economic growth are influenced by many factors, the Liberals have repeatedly promised since coming to power in 2015 that government spending on their climate policies would lead to significant increases in jobs and economic growth, which has not been the case. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Statistics Canada reported earlier this month that Canada's unemployment rate rose to 7% in May, the highest it's been since September 2016, excluding the 2020 and 2021 pandemic years, and a 12.9% increase from 6.2% a year ago in May. RECOMMENDED VIDEO When DeMarco reported in 2023 on the Liberals' so-called 'just transition' plan to assist energy sector workers to retrain for Canada's new green economy, he concluded it didn't exist, despite the government having promised it in 2019. 'We found that as Canada shifts focus to low-carbon alternatives, the government is not prepared to provide appropriate support to … workers in the fossil fuel sector,' DeMarco said. 'The transition was being handled on a business-as-usual basis, relying on existing program mechanisms such as the employment insurance program to deliver support.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. (Eventually the Liberals passed what they called the Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act in 2024, with many of these concerns still outstanding.) In terms of economic growth, Statistics Canada reported earlier this year that Canada's real GDP per capita, which measures economic output per person, adjusted for inflation, and is a widely accepted metric for measuring the standard of living, fell by 1.4% in 2024, following a decline of 1.3% in 2023. Over its near-decade in power, Canada's economic growth under the Liberals has been the lowest since the government of R.B. Bennett during the Great Depression. lgoldstein@ World Sunshine Girls Golf World Sunshine Girls
Calgary Herald
9 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Bell: Good news? Danielle Smith and Mark Carney now talking big energy projects for Alberta
Well what do have here from the office of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith? Article content Prime Minister Mark Carney and Smith have now both named teams of negotiators 'for the purpose of collaborating on the advancement of major energy projects of national interest that involve Alberta.' Article content Article content The teams involve cabinet ministers and senior officials appointed to this 'federal-provincial Table.' Article content Article content In the case of Alberta, Smith has already said the team is two cabinet ministers — Jason Nixon and Rajan Sawhney — and two deputy ministers and Rob Anderson, the premier's right-hand man. Article content Article content Now a lot of what Smith said at the Global Energy Show in Calgary in answer to questions from the scribbler makes sense. Article content In Calgary, Smith said there are 'ways we can find accommodation' with Carney. Article content Along with the premier wanting a bitumen pipeline to the port of Prince Rupert in B.C., Alberta will also want changes to anti-oil policies cooked up when Justin Trudeau was the Liberal prime minister. Article content 'He has to say he's not having the emissions cap and that means not bringing it in. Not acting would be a positive,' says the premier. Article content Article content No Liberal cap on oil and gas emissions is one of the nine demands Smith has made to Carney. Article content Smith said in the past you can't really build more pipelines and increase oil production in a big way and have the cap. Article content Then there's the tanker ban off the west coast. How about only lifting the tanker ban around Prince Rupert? Article content 'On the issue of the tanker ban, maybe we come to an agreement that if all roads lead to the port of Prince Rupert just carve out Prince Rupert so you can protect the rest of the coast. I can live with that,' said Smith. Article content Article content Article content 'If he can accept that then I think we have some common ground.'
