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<h1 class="gmail-detailHeadline">In English-language debate, CAQ's Legault gets a taste of the rough road ahead</h1><div class="gmail-share"><div class="gmail-viafoura"><div class="gmail-vf-widget gmail-vf-share-bar-horizontal"><div class="gmail-vf-widget gmail-vf-share-bar-horizontal gmail-vf-share-bar gmail-vf-share-bar-default" style="width:720px">
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</div></div></div></div><h2 class="gmail-deck">The sharpest barbs of the evening were directed Legault's way - he should probably get used to it</h2><div class="gmail-byline"><span class="gmail-imageMedia gmail-author-image gmail-full"><div class="gmail-placeholder"><img alt="" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.3882821.1488211328!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/square_140/jonathan-montpetit.jpg" class="gmail-loaded gmail-largeImage"></div></span><div class="gmail-bylineDetails"><span class="gmail-authorText"><span>Jonathan Montpetit</span></span><span class="gmail-bullet"> · </span>CBC News<span class="gmail-bullet"> · </span>Posted: Sep 18, 2018 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 7 hours ago</div></div><div><span class="gmail-imageMedia gmail-leadmedia-story gmail-full"><div class="gmail-placeholder"><img alt="" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.4827531.1537239259!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/quebec-election-english-leaders-debate-legault-hands-up.jpg" class="gmail-loaded gmail-largeImage"></div><span class="gmail-leadimage-caption">CAQ
Leader François Legault, left, found himself under attack from Liberal
Leader Philippe Couillard, right, as well as from the PQ's Jean-François
Lisée throughout Monday's English language debate. (Allen McInnis/Montreal Gazette)</span></span></div><div class="gmail-commentCount"><div class="gmail-viafoura"><span class="gmail-commentCount-icon"></span></div></div><div class="gmail-story"><span><p>Over
the weekend, the Quebec election campaign transformed into a referendum
on the credibility of François Legault, whose Coalition Avenir Québec
is leading in opinion polls.</p><p>On Saturday, and then again on Sunday,<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/legault-immigration-couillard-lisee-1.4825972" target="_blank"> Legault flubbed factual questions</a> about Canadian immigration policy, even though his proposed reforms to that policy are a centrepiece of his party's platform.</p><div><span><ul class="gmail-similarLinks"><li class="gmail-similarListItem"><a class="gmail-similarLink" href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-english-election-caq-liberals-1.4827180"><div class="gmail-label gmail-labelText gmail-label-Video gmail-flag"><span class="gmail-labelText gmail-label-video">Video</span></div><span class="gmail-similarLinkText">Immigration takes centre stage at Quebec English-language leaders debate</span></a></li></ul></span></div><p>Monday's
English-language debate offered a taste of what the next several days
hold in store for Legault: it's not going to be fun.</p><p>For extended
periods, it was open season on Legault as both Liberal Leader Philippe
Couillard and the Parti Québécois's Jean-François Lisée hammered him on
his immigration policies.</p><p>During an exchange about Quebec's labour
shortage, estimated at 90,000 unfilled jobs, Legault stood by his
promise to lower immigration levels by more than 20 per cent and expel
newcomers who fail to learn French within three years.</p><div><span><ul class="gmail-similarLinks"><li class="gmail-similarListItem"><a class="gmail-similarLink" href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/coalition-avenir-quebec-immigration-plan-1.4813458"><div class="gmail-label gmail-labelText gmail-label-Analysis gmail-flag"><span class="gmail-labelText gmail-label-analysis">Analysis</span></div><span class="gmail-similarLinkText">François Legault has ramped up his rhetoric around immigration. Here's a closer look at the CAQ's plan</span></a></li></ul></span></div><div><span><ul class="gmail-similarLinks"><li class="gmail-similarListItem"><a class="gmail-similarLink" href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-election-couillard-labour-immigration-1.4817245"><span class="gmail-similarLinkText">'Ballot question' is whether Quebec should cut number of immigrants, Couillard says</span></a></li></ul></span></div><p>"It
is appalling," Lisée said of the CAQ plan to force non-French-speaking
immigrants to leave the province. Couillard quickly turned it into a
Legault pile-on.</p><p>"We know you don't understand immigration," the incumbent premier said.</p><p>Lisée and Couillard tag-teamed their volleys at Legault several times during the debate, whenever the immigration issue came up.</p><p>And Legault wasn't always sure where he should direct his return fire.</p><div><span><span class="gmail-imageMedia gmail-image gmail-full"><div class="gmail-placeholder"><img alt="" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.4827618.1537230385!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/quebec-election-english-debate-legault-post-debate.jpg" class="gmail-loaded gmail-largeImage"></div><span class="gmail-leadimage-caption">CAQ
Leader François Legault, seen here speaking to the media after the
English-language debate, is likely to find himself pressed on his
knowledge of policy and his command of facts in the two weeks left in
the campaign. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)</span></span></span></div><h2>More than just another gaffe</h2><p>The
attacks on Legault's immigration proposals are nothing new, of course.
They produced some of the saltiest moments during Thursday's
French-language debate, as well.</p><p>But Legault's gaffes over the weekend changed the significance of these criticisms.</p><p>Immigration, according to most accounts, is not the number one priority of most voters.</p><ul><li><h3><a href="https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/qcvotes/poll-tracker">Quebec Poll Tracker | CBC News</a></h3></li></ul><p>Couillard has been trying to make hay with the issue for at least two weeks, to no noticeable effect in the polls.</p><p>When
Legault exposed his hazy understanding of the nuts-and-bolts of
immigration rules, though, the questions ceased being about the merits
of his proposals.</p><p>Instead, they're about whether Legault knew
enough about how Canadian immigration works before drafting a policy
that could have far-reaching effects on Quebec's economy, not to mention
its social fabric.</p><p>Or, put more simply: Does he have credibility in the eyes of voters when making campaign promises?</p><p>That's
a question that is more likely to resonate with Quebecers than at what
point in the immigration process a Quebec selection certificate ought to
be handed out.</p><h2>Is it fun being François Legault?</h2><p>The
reaction from Legault's camp to the flubs was swift, and hinted at the
danger his associates sense in this line of questioning.</p><p>Before
Monday's debate, the CAQ's Granby candidate, François Bonnardel — one of
Legault's faithful lieutenants — insisted to reporters that his leader
was "an expert at immigration."</p><p>Stéphane Gobeil, a senior campaign adviser, tweeted out results of a current affairs <a href="http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/e8a8f07a-9517-44c5-a1d3-6e9cbd8d902a__7C___0.html" target="_blank">quiz</a> the four leaders took for La Presse back in July. Legault scored the highest.</p><div><span></span></div><p>Legault
did not make any major missteps in Monday's debate, and so may have
stanched the bleeding from the weekend's self-inflicted wounds.</p><p>But
he shouldn't get too comfortable. Not only have his two principal
rivals identified a weakness, but the public, too, has questions about
his readiness for the top job.</p><p>He will be pressed on his knowledge of policy, on his intelligence, on his command of facts and figures.</p><p>No, it didn't look like it was much fun to be François Legault on Monday night. And it probably won't be for the next few days.</p><p>But if he can put to rest doubts about his credibility, Oct. 1 might still be very fun for him indeed.</p></span></div>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div></div>