For Chantal Dauphinais, the Conservative Party (PCQ) candidate in the Huntingdon riding, the current trade war with the United States has demonstrated that Quebec businesses are not competitive enough to withstand this type of shock.
She explained that this is one of the reasons why the Conservative Party is committed to reducing the corporate tax rate by 59 per cent, which would make it the lowest in North America. “This will help our businesses cut costs to cope with tariffs and give them the breathing room they need to invest, expand, hire, and more,” she explained.
The PCQ will also eliminate interprovincial barriers, reduce red tape and regulatory requirements by 30 per cent, reduce the number of regulated trades in construction to match Ontario, and will cancel the carbon tax. “We want our entrepreneurs and farmers to spend more time running their businesses and innovating, and less time filling out forms and dealing with bureaucrats,” said Dauphinais.
When it comes to public services, Dauphinais noted the PCQ recognizes community organizations and family caregivers as the front line in health care and educational support. “To enable them to devote themselves fully to their mission, their funding model will be revised to ensure long-term stability and put an end to the constant scramble for grants,” she said.
The PCQ will abolish Santé Québec, allow patients to seek care in the private health system, expand medical schools to graduate more doctors and nurses, and offer hospital and school administrations the autonomy to make administrative decisions. “For too long, one-size-fits-all programs have been imposed by previous governments without taking regional realities into account,” she explained.
Dauphinais noted that while many issues have become urgent in the Huntingdon riding, the bilingual status of municipalities, or lack thereof, is a concern. “French will always remain the official language of Quebec. But we must also respect those who built Huntingdon and fully recognize their legacy.”