CAQ leadership race

“If I am elected in April to the leadership of the [Coalition avenir Québec]I am committed to maintaining school outings in a cultural environment and the program budgets Culture at schoolconstructive measures put in place by our government,” wrote the MP for Sanguinet on Tuesday on her social networks.

Last week, the cultural community took to the barricades to denounce the cuts in the budget intended for school cultural outings, which was to be reduced by 13 million from the year 2026-2027, then by half the following year.

“The positive impacts of these programs are nevertheless measurable […]. A study by the Working Group on attendance at the performing arts published in 2020 establishes a direct link between the exposure of young people to cultural works from their school career and the rate of attendance at the performing arts in adulthood,” responded the Professional Association of Show Presenters.

These planned cuts were also reflected in the Red Room of the National Assembly, where the spokesperson for Québec solidaire en education, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, denounced that the CAQ government was going to weaken “access to culture for the children of Quebec.” The Minister of Education, Sonia LeBel, then replied that the budgetary exercise was underway and that it will be “completed” when the next budget is presented.