Quebec parties promise rent caps and tax cuts as cost-of-living crisis dominates election race
Four days into the campaign, housing affordability and economic relief are reshaping how parties pitch themselves ahead of the October 5 vote.
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Housing affordability and taxes are remaking the Quebec election campaign as four major parties scramble to own the cost-of-living crisis heading toward the October 5 vote.
The Quebec Liberal Party is promising to cap rents and service fees for seniors in privately managed homes. Québec solidaire is pushing further, proposing rent controls for all tenants. The Quebec Conservatives plan to abolish the sales tax on used goods, a move aimed at easing household purchasing power. The Coalition Avenir Québec, the governing party, laid out a fiscal plan that includes a deficit of roughly $2 billion per year until 2031.
The CAQ says Quebec would need to generate $6 billion in revenue to reach a balanced budget, a target the party promised to hit by 2029-2030. How exactly the CAQ plans to raise that money—whether through spending cuts, new revenue sources, or a combination—remains unspecified in the available material.
The Parti Québécois is expected to focus its campaign messaging on French-language protection in coming days. As HOC reported in June, community groups had already demanded that the provincial parties make homelessness a priority in the campaign.
With barely five weeks until voting day, each party is betting that staking early claims on affordability will resonate most with voters anxious about rent, groceries, and household budgets.
How would the CAQ's promised balanced budget by 2029-2030 be achieved—spending cuts, new revenue, or both?
What are the specific details of the Conservatives' plan to abolish sales tax on used goods, and what revenue impact do they project?
How would Québec solidaire fund a rent cap for all tenants, and what impact would it have on landlords and housing supply?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
When is the Quebec election?
The Quebec election is October 5, 2026.
What rent control policies are the major parties proposing?
The Quebec Liberal Party is promising to cap rents and service fees for seniors in privately managed homes. Québec solidaire is proposing rent controls for all tenants. The Quebec Conservatives plan to abolish the sales tax on used goods instead.
What is the Coalition Avenir Québec's fiscal plan?
The Coalition Avenir Québec, the governing party, laid out a fiscal plan that includes a deficit of roughly $2 billion per year until 2031 and says Quebec would need to generate $6 billion in revenue to reach a balanced budget by 2029-2030.
