Quebec Election 2022

• Quebec Retail
• Why Quebec Retail Matters
• Where the Parties Stand
• Key Retail Issues
• Get Involved

_{Source: Statistics Canada}

^{*Core retail excludes gas stations and auto dealerships.}

Why Quebec Retail Matters

The retail industry is at the heart of our daily lives. Our basic needs – food, clothing, transportation, housing, culture – go through the retail industry. The women and men who work in this vast field are constantly adapting, reinventing themselves or bringing about changes linked to the evolution of society.

Over the past two years, there have been profound changes in consumer needs and habits. Businesses have faced significant challenges, including changing the world of work, increasing labour shortages and disruptions in supply chains. These changes have been rapid and ongoing, reinforcing the urgency for everyone to be better equipped, to be heard and gain predictability.

Where the Parties Stand

Retailers can learn more about election issues affecting their businesses by consulting the parties’ platforms, available below. The programmes of the main parties are classified according to the current number of seats held by the political parties within the National Assembly.

• Coalition avenir Québec
• Liberal Party of Québec
• Québec solidaire
• Parti Québécois (in French)
• Parti conservateur du Québec

Quebec Key Retail Issues

Labour shortage

Labour shortage remains at the top of retailers’ priorities. If this problem is not unique to Quebec, it does nevertheless affect the province more. The job vacancy rate is higher here than in neighboring province. This shortage, against which action remains to be taken, affects all aspects of the economy and the very workings of society. Inflationary pressure, rising procurement costs, delayed, or even cancelled investments in innovation, lost contracts, worsening mental health problems among overworked employees, affected supplies – this chronic shortage must be at the heart of the policies of the next government. RCC reiterated the importance of implementing all possible measures to resolve this crisis: training, widening of the pool of workers, incentives for older workers who wish to remain or return to the labour market, regulatory reliefs, etc.

Multiplication of regulations

This debate seems eternal, as administrative measures multiply and are added to each other on an ad hoc and regular basis. Laws, regulations, municipal measures, regulatory pitfalls have accumulated despite the better will of governments. An example are the new surcharges imposed by some municipalities, without extensive consultation, some of which are in addition to other fees, all of which are taxable of course. These measures complicate the lives of retailers because they do not consider their ability to meet new requirements. Worse, new swords of Damocles are now hanging over the heads of retailers since Québec is considering transferring the power to regulate opening hours of businesses  on their territory, to municipalities. With over 1,100 municipalities in the province, there is a serious risk of ending up with just as many regulatory scenarios. These are in addition to upcoming regulations such as Bill 96 (French language) and Bill 64 (data management and protection), which were adopted earlier this year.

Get Involved

Use these tools to contact your local candidates and make your voice heard.