The Parti Québécois’ platform included multiple ag promises
Quebec voted for change on Oct. 5 as the Parti Québécois (PQ) earned 59 seats – five short of a majority – and will form the next government.
“To elected premier of Quebec is a huge privilege. It’s also a great responsibility,” PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said in his victory speech which also mentioned a possible referendum and separation from Canada.
The Liberals will sit as the official opposition with 40 seats.
The Coalition Avenir Quebec, which had been in power since 2018, didn’t win a single riding.
The PQ platform positioned agriculture as an important part of its mandate.
“In a Parti Québécois government, the Minister of Agriculture will be a key figure in protecting our food sovereignty and recognizing the contribution of producers to our economy,” St-Pierre Plamondon said on Sept. 10.
Here’s some of what the party promised for farmers and ag:
- Increasing funding for the agriculture budget from 0.9 to 1.5 per cent over 10 years, representing about $450 million over four years.
- Eliminate tax barriers for land transfers and provide tax incentives for sales of farms to young farmers.
- Establish a benchmark that 75 per cent of food in public institutions is domestic
- Provide the UPA-Fondaction Agricultural Trust, which protects farmland from real estate speculators, with $10 million in 2027-2028
- Put 50,000 hectares of maple groves into maple syrup production
- Remove Quebec from the Alto rail project
At least one member of the PQ caucus has ties to work in agriculture.
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, who will represent the riding of Saint-Hyacinthe, was the Bloc Québécois MP for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton between 2019 and 2026.
During his time in the House of Commons, he sat on the trade committee and defended supply management, including pushing for the adoption of legislation that protects supply management in future trade agreements.
A farmer will be in the national assembly under a different party banner.
Frédéric Poulin, a dairy farmer from Saint-Antoine-de-l'Isle-aux-Grues, won the riding of Côte-du-Sud for the Conservatives.
“His background makes him a hands-on person, well-versed in the realities faced by families, entrepreneurs, and the agricultural sector. He acts as a spokesperson for agricultural issues,” his party bio says.