Libman: Ruling is not the same as governing — and it's costing Legault

Montreal Gazette

17-05-2025

'To rule is easy, to govern difficult' is a quote attributed to the writer and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Newly elected governments take power fresh with their political agenda and series of objectives, promising to bring about positive change from the previous regime. But it doesn't take long for the perils of reality to set in, with a multitude of competing interests and challenges.
Every society is composed of individuals with a diversity of opinions, beliefs, values, experiences and aspirations. Generating consensus on almost any major issue is extremely difficult. Every decision spawns detractors, and in this age of social media, criticism and opposition can sound much louder. Before long, a party or leader that embodied change or renewal falls out of favour, and electors again clamour for change.
Justin Trudeau was swept into power in 2015 in a red wave of enthusiasm. His glamorous honeymoon eventually soured, and he was compelled to resign.
Premier François Legault was elected in 2018, offering a 'third-way' to Quebec's traditional federalist-separatist polarization, promoting an economic nationalism within Canada and no more referendums. His popularity soared at first during the pandemic, but nearly seven years after his election, 63 per cent of Quebecers now want a change in government, according to this week's Léger poll. Support for his Coalition Avenir Québec has shrunk to 20 per cent, its lowest since taking power.
The Legault government's reign epitomizes Goethe's observation about the distinction between ruling and governing. His administration has plowed forward, investing heavily in shiny projects that seemed promising — such as the Northvolt battery plant project, or digitizing SAAQclic — yet ran into major problems due to a lack of due diligence and responsible oversight.
Implementing even the greatest ideas in principle into successful initiatives in practice requires strong governance, effective analysis, skilled leadership and, most important, generating a collaborative buy-in from stakeholders. Instead, this government seems to operate with a 'my way or the highway' approach, which hurts credibility.
Take three recent examples in health care:
Giving consideration to a plan that would assign family doctors to Quebecers based on varying degrees of a patient's health, to ensure that the most vulnerable have access.
Obliging new doctors and specialists, under Bill 83, to practise in the public system for five years after graduation or face stiff financial penalties.
Linking doctors' pay, under Bill 106, to various performance objectives, to push physicians to take on more patients.
In addressing the doctor shortage, these initiatives may seem like good ideas, but each has its unintended drawbacks.
Will healthier Quebecers who become ill have difficulty seeing a doctor? Will future doctors shun Quebec medical schools or just leave after graduation? Do doctors have the resources to take on extra patients — and will this reduce their care of existing patients?
Bill 106 is seen by physicians as a shot across the bow during labour negotiations. For such major initiatives, where is the collaborative consultation at the outset to find the best workable solutions? Just trying to blame doctors solves nothing.
Recently, Education Minister Bernard Drainville introduced legislation to ban cellphones in and around schools and impose rules of respect and civility. Also good intentions and ideas in principle — but does the implementation go too far, lacking the requisite analysis and initial buy-in by parents and students who may need to communicate during the day?
University tuition changes, state secularism and many other laws have been sledgehammered with insufficient advance analysis and consultation with those most affected.
It's difficult enough to govern, and unanimous consensus is rare on major initiatives. But if governments don't understand that ruling is one thing, while governing is different — basically 'the art of the possible' — their job becomes even harder, likely hastening their own demise.