Fréchette defends CAQ record as rivals trade attacks in first leaders’ debate

POLITICS Fréchette defends CAQ record as rivals trade attacks in first leaders’ debate By Alessia Simona Maratta Global News Posted September 16, 2026 5:00 am 4 min read RELATED: A new cost overrun scandal for the CAQ made waves on the campaign trail on Monday. The Fréchette government os accused of allowing the price of an IT project balloon from 100 million to one billion dollars. As Dan Spectpr reports, the CAQ is now on the defensive as leaders prepare for two televised debates this week. LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE Coalition Avenir Québec Leader Christine Fréchette found herself on the defensive during the first leaders’ debate of the provincial election campaign Tuesday, as the four other party leaders attacked the CAQ’s record after nearly eight years in power. In opening statements, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said his party would end years of “CAQ waste,” and highlighted the government’s most recent cost overrun scandal: the cost of an information technology project at Santé Québec which ballooned from an initial budget of about $96 million to roughly $1 billion. St-Pierre Plamondon, Liberal Leader Charles Milliard and Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime accused the CAQ government, and Fréchette both as a minister and more recently premier, of overseeing rising government spending, growing debt and controversies surrounding the now-defunct Northvolt electric battery plant project and the province’s auto insurance board, known as the “SAAQclic fiasco.” STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT Fréchette distanced herself from her predecessor, former party leader and Premier François Legault. “I am not François Legault, I am Christine Fréchette, and I come with my own way of doing things,” she said. 2:13 Some Quebec election party leaders split on high-speed train Stick to the Facts Add Global News as a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our stories in your search results. TVA host Paul Larocque moderated the debate, which featured a head-to-head format pairing leaders against one another on each topic. The debate focused on the economy, sovereignty, the French language and immigration. Leaders spar over protection of French Asked about the future of the French language, Fréchette said the CAQ had made significant gains during its time in office and would continue…