Quebec Liberal leader Charles Milliard says his party is the only one advocating for federalism that promotes a strong Quebec within Canada, which he says the province needs amid the Canada-U.S. trade war. CTV News requested an interview with each of the main political party leaders about the key issues facing Quebecers during the election campaign. While CTV News awaits responses from the other four main party leaders, Quebec Liberal leader Charles Milliard spoke with CTV News chief anchor Mutsumi Takahashi on Friday. Synopsis Recherche surveyed approximately 1,000 Quebec adults between Aug. 24 and 26, 2026 on voters’ top concerns in this election. Health care ranked as the top concern, at 54 per cent, followed by inflation and the cost of living at 41 per cent, housing at 34 per cent, and instability and the trade war with the U.S. at 29 per cent. Milliard of Lévis, Que., spoke with CTV News about some of Quebecers’ top concerns, saying his background in pharmacy, business and education positions him well to understand and address them. One solution he is proposing for the health-care system is a universal telehealth program for all Quebecers as part of his campaign’s health and accessibility initiatives. “It’s going to be an opportunity for all Quebecers to have access to virtual consultations. It’s going to help decrease the number of people going to emergencies or to a GMF.” The latest trade threat, launched by U.S. President Donald Trump in July, is expected to have the greatest impact on Quebec of all provinces. The new 50 per cent tariff on some Canadian goods could result in more than $8 billion in export exposure within the province’s manufacturing, forestry, and consumer goods industries, putting nearly 18,000 jobs at risk. Part of Milliard’s plan is to reduce Quebec’s international export reliance on the U.S by at least 15 per cent. “I’ve been meeting with a lot of people from the manufacturing and forestry industries in the past few days, and they are very worried,” he told Takahashi. “We proposed many specific measures to help our small and medium enterprises and to put more liquidity into their hands, so they don’t have to lay off some workers.” Milliard, who is running in Orford, in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, also aimed to distance himself from some of his opponents’ priorities, citing “identity issues.” “We are a proud federalist party that believes a strong Quebec will be safer and more influential in a stronger Canada. My opponents are all about identity issues and trying to divide us, so we will prevail, if you will, in the war against bad solutions for Quebec,” he said. “I think that it’s time that we unite with the rest of Canada, especially in these specific and difficult times with the U.S.”
