Data shows Quebec governments often miss campaign promises

A review of more than 30 years of election commitments suggests Quebec governments are more likely to partially deliver on promises or abandon them than fully complete them. Researchers with Université Laval's Polimeter project found that since 1994, provincial governments have fully delivered on 49% of their commitments. The article says promise keeping depends on factors such as the economy, the length of a government’s mandate, and how realistic the pledges are. Commitments that fall clearly within a government’s power are easier to carry out, while goals that depend on labour supply, negotiations with Ottawa, or privatesector capacity are harder to meet. With the province heading into an election, parties are campaigning on goals such as better health care, improved education, lower costs, and more housing. But researchers note the next government will face constraints including labour shortages, a deficit, and economic uncertainty linked to trade tensions with the United States.