Charles Milliard

Parti libéral du Québec — September 9, 2026, Cinq chefs, une élection, Radio-Canada

Parti libéral du Québec

Segment 00:26:46–00:50:27 of the full broadcast.

25
Questions or follow-ups analyzed: 14
Direct responses: 7
Partial responses: 4
No identifiable answer: 6
Diversions noted

Analysis

Charles Milliard answers directly to 14 of 25 questions or follow-ups, with seven partial responses and four without an identifiable position — the highest proportion of non-answers among the five interviews.

The exchanges cover the relationship with the Trump administration and the tariff response, the Liberal target of 100,000 housing units per year, immigration (annual target, temporary foreign workers, retention in the regions), Bill 21 and the notwithstanding clause, the PLQ's electoral support among francophones, and possible parliamentary cooperation in the event of a minority government.

The responses without an identifiable position concern, among other things, the perception gap around his stature as leader, a hypothetical collaboration with the CAQ to prevent a referendum, the final position on banning religious symbols in positions of authority (beyond not renewing the notwithstanding clause in 2029), and the diagnosis of weak francophone support for the party. On immigration, he refuses to set a single target before consultation, placing his decision between 45,000 and 70,000.

The target of 100,000 housing units per year was subject to a separate fact check, presented below.

What he/she was asked

Direct: the requested position or information is identifiable. Partial: an essential part receives a response, but a central element remains unanswered. No identifiable answer: no requested position or information can be identified. A diversion is not automatically a non-answer.

#	Time	Question or follow-up	Answer summary	Status
1	00:29:12	What does he want to defend?	Curb the decline of the economy and public services, and avoid the fracturing of Canada.	Direct
2	00:29:34	Why do voters doubt his stature?	Replies that only the vote counts and that the campaign will serve to introduce himself, without explaining the perception deficit.	No identifiable answer
3	00:29:50	Is "understanding" Trump's empathy a strategy?	Explains that he wants to understand the other side's position and look for common gains.	Direct
4	00:30:57	How to negotiate with an administration that wants to weaken the Canadian economy?	Proposes a tighter front between Quebec, the provinces, and Ottawa. Shift to another topic noted in the research.	Direct
5	00:31:50	What additional power would he demand from Ottawa?	Full control over temporary foreign workers.	Direct
6	00:33:40	Would he have convened the Council of Ministers?	Implicitly no; calls the exercise theatrics and presents his liquidity plan instead. Shift to another topic noted in the research.	Direct
7	00:34:29	What price is Quebec willing to pay in the tariff retaliation?	Names red lines and energy as leverage, without quantifying or defining the acceptable cost.	Partial
8	00:35:25	How to reach 100,000 housing units/year despite a capacity of 50,000?	Defends the ambition and cites the need for 90,000, but the operational explanation is interrupted and remains incomplete.	Partial
9	00:36:11	Follow-up: what economic price would he accept?	Cites $1.6 billion in business assistance and a "war chest," without answering on the total tolerable cost.	Partial
10	00:36:53	His biggest criticism of Fréchette?	Accuses him of opportunism and national ambiguity.	Direct
11	00:37:27	How many permanent immigrants would he admit?	Declines to set a single upfront target; places his future decision between benchmarks of 45,000 and 70,000 after consultation. Shift to another topic noted in the research.	Partial
12	00:39:00	How to address the shortage of workers in the regions?	Rejects deportations, proposes recruitment missions and regional placement upon arrival. Shift to another topic noted in the research.	Direct
13	00:40:12	How to get newcomers to stay in the regions?	Wants to better promote and raise awareness of the regions, without detailed retention measures.	Direct
14	00:40:38	Without the notwithstanding clause, would religious symbols return for employees in positions of authority?	Confirms the position of not renewing in 2029, but avoids directly owning the requested consequence.	Partial
15	00:41:37	Is he for or against banning religious symbols for those in positions of authority?	Repeats that he would not renew the clause; does not give a yes/no on the ban itself.	No identifiable answer
16	00:42:15	Why does the PLQ get little traction with francophone voters?	Talks about health, education, and a desire for change, without a direct diagnosis of the electoral break. Shift to another topic noted in the research.	No identifiable answer
17	00:43:11	How many ridings outside Montreal does he want to win?	Replies "the maximum," then mentions historically Liberal regions, without a target.	Partial
18	00:43:58	Did Trump steal from him the election that was supposed to be about the referendum?	No; argues that the crisis reinforces the importance of Canada.	Direct
19	00:44:52	Does he want more support from Mark Carney?	Downplays the idea of a partisan endorsement and defends their meeting.	Direct
20	00:45:41	Would he work with the CAQ to prevent a referendum in a minority context?	Refuses "political fiction" and instead attacks the PQ and QS; no clear conditions for collaboration. Shift to another topic noted in the research.	No identifiable answer
21	00:46:16	Does he fear being seen as a transitional leader?	No; says he is fully committed and accepts the criticism.	Direct
22	00:46:41	What would make him bring down a minority government?	Promises to work file by file and identifies a referendum as the line of confrontation, without a complete list of conditions.	Partial
23	00:47:33	How to make education more equitable?	Proposes a public inquiry (états généraux) and more programs specific to the public sector, but leaves most of the mechanism to consultation.	Direct
24	00:49:11	What measure from an opponent inspires them?	Cites the PQ's goal of cutting homelessness in half by 2030.	Direct
25	00:49:42	What does he say to those who find his campaign lacking passion?	Puts forward his team and a reasonable, methodical platform.	Direct

#100:29:12
What does he want to defend?
Curb the decline of the economy and public services, and avoid the fracturing of Canada.
Direct
#200:29:34
Why do voters doubt his stature?
Replies that only the vote counts and that the campaign will serve to introduce himself, without explaining the perception deficit.
No identifiable answer
#300:29:50
Is "understanding" Trump's empathy a strategy?
Explains that he wants to understand the other side's position and look for common gains.
Direct
#400:30:57
How to negotiate with an administration that wants to weaken the Canadian economy?
Proposes a tighter front between Quebec, the provinces, and Ottawa.
Shift to another topic noted in the research.
Direct
#500:31:50
What additional power would he demand from Ottawa?
Full control over temporary foreign workers.
Direct
#600:33:40
Would he have convened the Council of Ministers?
Implicitly no; calls the exercise theatrics and presents his liquidity plan instead.
Shift to another topic noted in the research.
Direct
#700:34:29
What price is Quebec willing to pay in the tariff retaliation?
Names red lines and energy as leverage, without quantifying or defining the acceptable cost.
Partial
#800:35:25
How to reach 100,000 housing units/year despite a capacity of 50,000?
Defends the ambition and cites the need for 90,000, but the operational explanation is interrupted and remains incomplete.
Partial
#900:36:11
Follow-up: what economic price would he accept?
Cites $1.6 billion in business assistance and a "war chest," without answering on the total tolerable cost.
Partial
#1000:36:53
His biggest criticism of Fréchette?
Accuses him of opportunism and national ambiguity.
Direct
#1100:37:27
How many permanent immigrants would he admit?
Declines to set a single upfront target; places his future decision between benchmarks of 45,000 and 70,000 after consultation.
Shift to another topic noted in the research.
Partial
#1200:39:00
How to address the shortage of workers in the regions?
Rejects deportations, proposes recruitment missions and regional placement upon arrival.
Shift to another topic noted in the research.
Direct
#1300:40:12
How to get newcomers to stay in the regions?
Wants to better promote and raise awareness of the regions, without detailed retention measures.
Direct
#1400:40:38
Without the notwithstanding clause, would religious symbols return for employees in positions of authority?
Confirms the position of not renewing in 2029, but avoids directly owning the requested consequence.
Partial
#1500:41:37
Is he for or against banning religious symbols for those in positions of authority?
Repeats that he would not renew the clause; does not give a yes/no on the ban itself.
No identifiable answer
#1600:42:15
Why does the PLQ get little traction with francophone voters?
Talks about health, education, and a desire for change, without a direct diagnosis of the electoral break.
Shift to another topic noted in the research.
No identifiable answer
#1700:43:11
How many ridings outside Montreal does he want to win?
Replies "the maximum," then mentions historically Liberal regions, without a target.
Partial
#1800:43:58
Did Trump steal from him the election that was supposed to be about the referendum?
No; argues that the crisis reinforces the importance of Canada.
Direct
#1900:44:52
Does he want more support from Mark Carney?
Downplays the idea of a partisan endorsement and defends their meeting.
Direct
#2000:45:41
Would he work with the CAQ to prevent a referendum in a minority context?
Refuses "political fiction" and instead attacks the PQ and QS; no clear conditions for collaboration.
Shift to another topic noted in the research.
No identifiable answer
#2100:46:16
Does he fear being seen as a transitional leader?
No; says he is fully committed and accepts the criticism.
Direct
#2200:46:41
What would make him bring down a minority government?
Promises to work file by file and identifies a referendum as the line of confrontation, without a complete list of conditions.
Partial
#2300:47:33
How to make education more equitable?
Proposes a public inquiry (états généraux) and more programs specific to the public sector, but leaves most of the mechanism to consultation.
Direct
#2400:49:11
What measure from an opponent inspires them?
Cites the PQ's goal of cutting homelessness in half by 2030.
Direct
#2500:49:42
What does he say to those who find his campaign lacking passion?
Puts forward his team and a reasonable, methodical platform.
Direct

Fact checks

Fact check

The PLQ is committing to build 100,000 housing units per year in Quebec, despite recent capacity of about 50,000.

Verdict: Official target confirmed, feasibility and timeline not demonstrated

The Parti libéral du Québec's website does promise to "eventually build 100,000 housing units per year." The phrase "eventually" does not, however, set any target year — as the commitment currently stands, it's impossible to verify whether the party expects to reach that pace as early as a first mandate.

Statistique Québec records 59,864 housing starts in 2025. Reaching 100,000 annual housing starts would require an increase of 40,136 units, or about 67%.

Measure	Housing units
Housing starts in Quebec in 2025	59,864
PLQ annual target	100,000
Required increase	67.0%

CMHC documents a supply shortage and the need for additional supply to restore affordability in Quebec — a finding that supports the idea of a strong acceleration, without on its own validating the figure of 90,000 cited in the interview or demonstrating that 100,000 annual housing starts are achievable given the available labour, financing, land and infrastructure.

Key nuances. A housing start marks the beginning of construction, not a completed or livable unit in the same year. The 67% increase requires a costed mechanism that no annual trajectory provides in the interview. A high need does not, on its own, demonstrate that the announced means will be sufficient to reach it.

The PLQ promises to "eventually" raise construction to 100,000 housing units per year. Quebec recorded 59,864 housing starts in 2025: the target therefore represents an increase of about 67%. The need to increase supply is documented, but the party does not set a target year and the interview does not demonstrate how capacity would be increased to that level.

Verified on September 18, 2026

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Methodology and sources

Based on the full video and official captions from Radio-Canada. Each response's status follows a constant rule: an identifiable position remains a direct response even if its cost, timeline or mechanism is not yet demonstrated; a response is classified as without an identifiable position only when no requested information can be identified. See our methodology.