By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

The Canadian Party of Quebec (CPQ) opened its 2026 campaign on Saturday with a policy forum and candidate recruitment event at the DoubleTree Hilton in Pointe-Claire. About 50 attendees gathered as party officials outlined their positions on education, health care, economic management, and minority rights, framing the CPQ as a federalist, centrist alternative in Quebec’s political landscape.

“We’re really excited to get the core of the party together for the first time at this convention,” CPQ party leader Joseph Cianflone said to The Suburban. “We launched the CPQ heading into the last election on a tight timeline, and now we’re building core teams and refining our platform priorities for the year ahead.”

Cianflone positioned the party’s core values as “economic market centrism and a centrist tone on social matters.” He added, “We want to make it clear where we stand, and that’s about practical solutions for Quebecers, not ideology.”

Education and health care dominated the day’s discussions. Cianflone pointed to what he described as the “collapse of the education system” as his personal motivation for entering politics. “I have four francophone stepchildren, so I’ve seen firsthand the challenges at the elementary and secondary levels,” he said. “We want to give families the freedom to choose French or English education without bureaucratic hurdles. That means eliminating the need for a certificate of eligibility and removing extra French course requirements for anglophone CEGEP students.”

He also spoke about the party’s aim to revisit university tuition fees for out-of-province and international students, and to align fees for students from France and Belgium with those paid by other international students. “It’s about fairness and making Quebec accessible,” Cianflone explained.

On health care, Cianflone was blunt about what he sees as the failures of the current system. “As part of the sandwich generation, I’ve watched the health care system fail both my elders and my kids,” he explained to The Suburban. “We under-resource training programs for doctors and nurses, and we’re trying to fix system-wide problems with human processes, when technology and workforce expansion are what’s really needed.”

He outlined the CPQ’s proposal to redirect the Santé Québec budget toward hospital infrastructure and to focus on recruiting new hires—including family doctors, specialists, nurses, and lab technicians. “We need to fast-track the recognition of health care credentials from other countries. Quebec is missing out on qualified professionals because of bureaucratic delays,” he said.

Cianflone also addressed the need for federal-provincial collaboration on health care. “Right now, in Canada, we have 13 isolated data pools and purchasing programs. It’s inefficient and drives up costs. If we could integrate systems, get hospitals off fax machines, and use data-driven technology, the federal government would be more willing to come to the table,” he explained. “We need to get serious about modernization.”

Myrtis Fossey, the CPQ’s deputy leader and health critic, also spoke to The Suburban about the party’s health care strategy. “One of my personal goals is the ability for a student trained in Manitoba to be able to work anywhere in Canada,” Fossey said to The Suburban. “We should loosen cross-border provincial restrictions so that health professionals can move where they’re needed and have their credentials recognized more easily. It’s not just about filling jobs. It’s about giving professionals the chance to grow and train in different environments.”

Fossey, a clinician with experience in both public and private sectors, addressed the ongoing debate over public versus private health care delivery. “Rather than pit private and public against each other, we want unified approaches and real collaboration. I’ve seen problems in the public system that private resources could help solve, and vice versa. We shouldn’t vilify either side,” she said.

She called for a more patient-centred system. “We need to move away from one-size-fits-all models. Instead, let’s look at the whole lifespan of a patient—what do they need at different stages, whether it’s physiotherapy, psychology, dentistry, or occupational therapy? Insurance coverage should reflect individual needs, not arbitrary caps,” Fossey argues.

“We also need to see more leadership from professionals who actually provide care, not just administrators or bureaucrats. Right now, decisions are being made by people far removed from the realities on the ground,” she explained The Suburban. “Patient care should be directed by those who understand the specific needs of local communities.”

The CPQ’s platform also proposes eliminating government spending on major sporting events and redirecting any surplus to the Provincial Generational Fund to reduce public debt. The party is calling for the abolition of Revenue Quebec in favour of having the Canada Revenue Agency handle tax collection, as is done in other provinces.

On language laws, the CPQ has taken a clear stance against Bill 96, which expanded French language requirements in public services, education, and business. The party is critical of the Quebec government’s use of the notwithstanding clause to shield Bill 96 from constitutional challenges and judicial review, describing it as a move that limits the rights of English-speaking Quebecers and other minorities.

On minority and language rights more broadly, the party states it would make all government services available in both French and English. The platform also opposes restrictions on wearing religious symbols in public-sector positions, a direct contrast to Quebec’s Bill 21. The CPQ has also called for broader representation of anglophone, allophone, and Indigenous communities within the provincial civil service.

Several prospective candidates were introduced at the event, including Audrey Baillairge, Will Twolan, Jonathan Gray, and Fossey. The CPQ has opened its nomination process for the 2026 election, with requirements including party membership, community engagement, bilingual communication skills, and collection of 175 signatures from voters in each riding.