(Mont-Saint-Grégoire) This is the end of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) strategy of dismantling the “anti-inflation shield”. François Legault’s party on Wednesday pledged to limit increases to 3% in certain government tariffs, including the Hydro-Québec Act, during a possible second term.
Posted at 9:05 am
Hugo Pilon-Larose The press
In addition to the electricity costs, the tariffs targeted in this election promise by the CAQ also include registration fees, tuition fees, day-care center costs and others. The Caquisten justify that this approach is preferable to freezing prices, because “such a freeze always leads to a price shock”.
Through this commitment, the CAQ is also attempting to correct the effects of its own law, passed during the first mandate, to regulate the increase in Hydro-Québec’s tariffs. This law froze electricity tariffs in 2020 and then let them rise with inflation. However, according to Statistics Canada CPI data for July 2022, inflation in Quebec reaches 7.3% on an annualized basis. The increase would therefore be staggering for Hydro customers.
Following this latest announcement to combat the effects of inflation in Montérégie, François Legault’s caravan will travel to a militant dinner in Châteauguay on Wednesday, followed by a visit to a school in Laval. The fourth day of the election campaign ends with a visit to an election office in Trois-Rivières.