Liberal reforms took 'courage,' Couillard says as Quebec election gets underway

As he began his quest for a second term,Quebec Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard portrayed his party as a trusted economic steward that made difficult, but necessary decisionsto get the province back on track.

"In the future, I'm sure that people will look at these [past] four years as a very critical period of change in Quebec, that took a lot of courage to achieve,"Couillardsaid Thursday indefendinghis government's track record.

The Liberalsintroduced a series of controversial cutsto health care and education in the first years of its mandate before boosting spending ahead of the election.

Couillard, fighting dwindling popularity,told Quebecers he will putforward proposals that will make their lives"better and simpler."

"Because life can be quite complicated in 2018 for young families and seniors and workers, and of course for our entrepreneurs as well," he said.

The Quebec election officially got underway Thursday morning after Couillardmet with Lt.-Gov. MichelDoyon to dissolve the provincial legislature and issuean election writ.

Voters will head to the polls on Oct. 1 after a 39-day campaign, thelongest possible underQuebecelectoral law.

The Liberals are hoping the lengthy campaign will exposeflaws in the proposals of Franois Legault's Coalition Avenir Qubec, which has been leading in the polls for months.

Time is now, Legault says

Despite a strong economyand unemployment numbers hovering near historiclows, polls suggest voters are anxiousforchange.

The Liberals have been in power in Quebec since 2003, with the exception of an 18-month stint by thePartiQubcois.

Legault, a former PQ cabinet minister, said he wants to set aside the debate over Quebec independence and "work together."

TheCAQisa right-leaning party thatpledges to cut taxes, reducethe number of immigrants andallow private sector health-careservices.

"We finally have the opportunity of turning the page on 13years of Liberal government.What is at stake in this election is which party can replace Mr. Couillard's government," Legaultsaid at a news conference.

"What the CAQ is proposing is positive change."

Watch party leaders make their case to voters on Day 1

Quebec party leaders kick off their election campaigns.

6 years ago

Duration 1:44

The Quebec election officially got underway August 23. Voters will have 39 days to decide on who they want to govern the province.

PQ warns of CAQ austerity measures

The Parti Qubcois has promised not to hold a referendum on sovereignty in the first mandate of a PQ government, taking sovereigntyoff the tablefor the first election in decades.

Leader Jean-Franois Lise, whose party is polling in third behind the CAQ and the Liberals, took aim at both Legault and Couillardin his remarks, arguing their policies fail to protect the province's most vulnerable.

"The CAQ says they will cut taxes without reducing services. Do not believe them. If you didn't like Liberal austerity, you will hate CAQ austerity," he said.

A PQ government, he said, would restore funding to social programs trimmed back by the Liberals.

Manon Mass, a spokesperson for the left-wing party QubecSolidaire, put an emphasis on policies that would counter climate change on the first day of the campaign.

"It is not by building more highways or taking more oil out of our soils that we are going to save the planet," said Mass, whose party advocates nationalizing natural resources, as well asfree education and daycare.

At dissolution, the Liberals had 68 seats, the PQ 28,the CAQ 21 and QubecSolidaire three, along with five independents.

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