TRAINING. In a press release on August 26, Quebec Solidaire (QS) candidate in Lotbinière-Frontenac, Christine Gilbert, revealed her commitment to address “growing inequalities in the public education network.”

By Érick Deschênes – Special Collaboration

After talking to mothers of students from Lotbinière-Frontenac, the QS representative decided to go on this trip.

Citing the example of a mother who was unable to enroll her daughter in a high school circus program because of the hundreds of dollars in fees, Christine Gilbert particularly regretted the fact that the Department of Education did not provide just a $200 per student loan for all specialized circus programs awards programs.

“In Quebec we have the most unequal education system in Canada. The chances of studying at Cégep are 50% for a student in a regular class, while it is 92% for students in an option program. Québec solidaire wants to establish universal accessibility in education and is committed to banning selection based on academic results and financial means so that all children can participate in the program of their choice,” the Solidarity candidate said.

Likewise, if elected and QS comes to power on October 3, Christine Gilbert has pledged to eliminate all tuition fees for preschool, elementary and secondary schools, adult education and professional education. She says this measure gives students from low-income families or those at risk of dropping out access to educational programs that “encourage academic success by mobilizing children’s interests and passions.”

An elevated role

On the same day, Québec solidaire introduced the members of its “business team”, including Christine Gilbert. Remember that the Solidarity candidate in Lotbinière-Frontenac holds a PhD in Accounting from York University and is a Professor of Accounting with a specialization in Public Finance at Laval University.

The group of unified candidates who are part of this “economy team” also include Ruba Ghazal (outgoing Mercier MP and former chief executive), Mathieu Perron-Dufour (candidate in Hull, economist and professor of economics at the University of Québec en Outaouais ). ), Haroun Bouazzi (Candidate at Maurice-Richard, Associate Vice President at Business Development Bank of Canada), Julie Francoeur, Candidate at Bertrand, Managing Director of Fairtrade Canada) and Simon Tremblay-Pepin (Candidate at Pointe-aux-Trembles, Economist and Professor at the Élisabeth-Bruyère School of Social Innovation at Saint Paul University).

Given that this group represents the “best economic team in the party’s history,” Québec Solidaire hopes these candidates will be elected at the end of the campaign so that a future unity government “helps the people overcome the inflation crisis and guides the energy transition.” a”.

“Quebec has been subject to the same outdated economic vision for thirty years. And right now we’re facing a major livelihood crisis, we’re missing our greenhouse gas reduction targets and the wealth gap is widening. At Québec solidaire, we have a solid, experienced business team focused on a clear direction: helping people weather the inflation crisis and transforming Québec’s economy to meet the challenge of the climate crisis. […] Our fiscal framework will be balanced. We are ambitious and rigorous,” argued Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, spokesman for Québec solidaire.