François Lambert attacks QS plan to tax fortunes above 25 million
Québec solidaire adopted a proposal on Saturday to tax fortunes above 25 million dollars, and François Lambert answered with a blunt social media post after months of public criticism of the idea. The party says the measure would apply progressive rates to very large fortunes and bring five billion dollars a year to Québec’s state coffers.
Under the proposal, Québec solidaire would tax the tranche of fortune between 25 million and 100 million dollars at 1 percent, and wealth above 100 million dollars at 2 percent. It would also count 100 percent of capital gains in the tax calculation, with exemptions for the principal residence and some agricultural property.
Québec solidaire congress vote
The proposal was adopted Saturday at QS’s congress and would be written into the party’s electoral platform. Ruba Ghazal said Saturday morning that the party was “convaincus qu’il faut agir sur la colonne des revenus de l’État” and that it wanted to “aller chercher l’argent de poche des multimillionnaires” to fund measures that improve “le quotidien de la majorité des Québécois.”
Sol Zanetti defended the plan at a press point on the margin of the congress and said, “Ça ne va pas changer la qualité de la bouteille de vin qu’ils vont sortir de leur cellier le vendredi soir.” He also told critics, “Je [veux dire] une affaire aux François Lambert de ce monde: il ne faut pas qu’ils s’inquiètent.”
François Lambert response
Lambert had written on social media in March that he did not consider himself part of the ultra-rich. He also wrote that he was financially comfortable, paid his share and did not complain, but that “il y a une limite.”
On Saturday, he escalated that response with a message titled “À tous les Québec solidaire de ce monde… vos yeules.” He wrote that Zanetti talked about rich people “as if they were a gang of parasites,” and added: “Votre problème, c’est que vous êtes incapables de créer de la richesse. Votre seul réflexe, c’est de venir la chercher dans les poches de ceux qui en créent.”
QS, public support, and the split
The party says the tax is meant to better finance public services, and it points to a recent poll from the Confédération des syndicats nationaux showing 74 percent of respondents wanted the next government to raise taxes on the wealthiest to help pay for those services. That support sits beside the fact that the measure is not unanimous and that taxing the rich has become a taboo in Québec politics.
For very wealthy taxpayers, the practical change is specific: fortunes above 25 million dollars would face a new progressive layer in QS’s platform, and capital gains would be included much more broadly than under the current proposal. Lambert’s reaction shows the political fight now centers on whether the party is taxing excess wealth or discouraging wealth creation, and that argument will follow QS as it tries to turn the congress vote into an election promise.
