Quebec’s election campaign enters its 10th day, with many of the party leaders spending the day in the Quebec City area. The election is scheduled for Oct. 5. Key details: Follow along for the latest updates: Fréchette accuses PQ leader of not mentioning a referendum CAQ leader Christine Fréchette accuses her PQ opponent Paul St-Pierre Plamondon of hiding his commitment to hold a referendum. At a press conference Saturday morning in Lorraine, in the Blainville riding, she criticized the leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ) for failing to mention a referendum at his large rally in Quebec City on Friday evening—even though he had in fact discussed it. “If anyone is trying to hide something, it’s certainly Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon. He’s not talking to us about a referendum anymore,” she said, using a tone that has often been characteristic of Liberal Party leaders over the past few decades. “Yesterday (Friday), he gathered his supporters. He didn’t utter the word ‘referendum’ even once. That’s hiding things from Quebecers.” Having herself served in a PQ cabinet from 2012 to 2014, the CAQ leader acknowledged that a referendum is clearly part of the PQ’s platform, but she noted that the word “consultation” seems more “practical” for the PQ, “softer.” She said that she is not detracting from the “validity of the referendum process,” but that this is the worst possible time to hold one and that it is not what Quebecers want. The CAQ leader dismissed accusations from her opponents, who suspect her of fueling a climate of anxiety and fear by constantly talking about the trade conflict with the United States to boost her popularity and her political platform. Instead, she believes her rivals aren’t talking about it enough. “I hear very little from the leaders of the other parties about Trump’s tariffs. It’s actually surprising—we’re in the midst of an economic war with our main partner, and for the other parties, it’s as if it were just a minor news item.” The Canadian Press. CAQ: $750 million to create 25,000 daycare spots The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) is committing to creating 25,000 additional low-cost daycare spots. CAQ leader Christine Fréchette made the announcement Saturday at a press conference in Lorraine. The cost of this commitment is estimated at $750 million over four years. In addition, the CAQ aims to address the labour shortage in educational day care services by offering each new graduate a $10,000 bonus, provided she commits to working for at least two years at a CPE or a subsidized day care centre. The Canadian Press. PQ leader says immigration comments ‘distorted’ Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said comments he has made about immigration have been “distorted” by his opponents as Quebec’s political parties wrapped up the second week of the provincial election campaign on Friday. Immigration and anglophone rights took centre stage over the week as leaders continued to campaign ahead of the Oct. 5 provincial election. In recent days, the PQ leader has linked immigration to overcrowded schools and the decline of the French language. On Saturday, he held a press conference outside a Quebec City high school where modular classrooms are being used to accommodate students. He said schools were “overflowing everywhere in Quebec,” and cited data about the increase that he attributed to immigrants. But the statistics he shared were actually adding up a combination of immigrants and Quebec-born children of immigrants. Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal accused him of scapegoating immigrant children, while suggesting that the real problem was due to previous governments failing to adequately fund the education system. The Canadian Press QS pledges front-line health-care access points Québec Solidaire plans to tackle the problems in the health-care system head-on by setting up a new network of 400 front-line access points modeled after the CLSCs. Spokesperson Ruba Ghazal made the announcement Saturday morning during a press briefing held in Chicoutimi, in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. QS is thus proposing to expand the CLSC network and make it the gateway to the health-care system. According to the party, this would decentralize services and ensure broader coverage for minor emergencies, particularly in remote areas. “It’s also a way to relieve pressure on emergency rooms,” Ghazal said during the press briefing. Québec Solidaire estimates the cost of this measure at $1.8 billion per year. The Canadian Press. Day 10: Here is where the party leaders are planning to start their day, in order of first appearance: Christine Fréchette (Coalition Avenir Québec) CAQ Leader Christine Fréchette is starting her day with a press conference at the Petits amis de Lorraine daycare north of Laval at 9 a.m. Around 2:30 p.m., she will visit the Kinova Robotics factory in Boisbriand before visiting the Microbrasserie Albion in Joliette after 5 p.m. Ruba Ghazal (Québec Solidaire) Accompanied by her co-spokesperson Sol Zanetti, QS Spokesperson Ruba Ghazal is set to hold a press briefing on health-care measures in Chicoutimi at 9:30 a.m. She will then meet with Saint-Félicien Mayor Jean-Philippe Boutin at Café Cambio at 10:30 a.m. before visiting a farm with UPA Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean president Jean-Thomas Maltais. She will then head to Quebec City for a Pride Day in Quebec City with former co-spokesperson Manon Massé in the afternoon and will end the evening at the Nuit des Galeries at around 7:30 p.m. Éric Duhaime (Quebec Conservative Party) Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime will start his day in Iverness where he will present his party’s digital platform at 10:30 a.m. He will then attend the Festival du Boeuf at 11:30 a.m., and will attend a Rouge et Or tailgate party at the University of Laval in the Quebec City region. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon (Parti Québécois) PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon will hold a press conference at the National Assembly at 11 a.m. Charles Milliard (Quebec Liberal Party) Liberal Leader Charles Milliard is expected to start his day at the Écolivres used bookstore in Lévis at 11 a.m. He will have lunch at the Délice Resto Lounge and spend the night in Gatineau. The leaders The leaders
