Quebec Premier Jean Charest laid out his party's platform to provincial Liberals on Saturday, with promises that included more personal tax cuts — $250 million over the next five years — and a wait-time guarantee for all surgery within five years.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest: 'I know that we will have to work very hard during the election campaign to ask and earn the confidence of Quebecers.'
(Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press)

An election call is expected on Wednesday.

Charest told about 2,500 provincial Liberals gathered at a meeting in Quebec City that a Parti Québécois government would divide the province because it is obsessed with having another referendum.

"Never again will Quebecers have a Péquiste government," Charest said.

"Who has the better plan? Who has the better team? Who is in a better position to defend the interests of Quebec?" he asked.

Charest has recalled the provincial legislature to table his budget on Tuesday and is expected to drop the provincial writ the next day. Quebecers are likely to go to the polls on March 26, according to a report by the Canadian Press.

The premier said the province is thriving after four years under the Liberals, who have spent responsibly while investing in health care, education and family programs.
  
"Quebecers will never return to the days of a Péquiste government, of wasting of public funds," he said. "Those days are finished."

Must work hard to earn Quebecers' confidence

Charest first unveiled the main pillars of the party's platform on Friday, ahead of this weekend's pre-election meeting of members in Quebec City.

'The priorities of Quebecers are on health care, and education, and the environment, sustainable development, families. We're on the right priorities, because it is their priorities.'—Jean Charest

He acknowledged that his government had not fulfilled some promises he made in 2003, including $1 billion a year in income tax cuts, and he said the campaign would be tough.

"I know that we will have to work very hard during the election campaign to ask and earn the confidence of Quebecers," he said going into Saturday's meeting.

"We're on the right priorities. The priorities of Quebecers are on health care, and education, and the environment, sustainable development, families.  We're on the right priorities, because it is their priorities."

Plan to lift tuition freeze

The Liberals also plan to provide new money for post-secondary education, but they want to lift a 13-year-old freeze on university tuition and increase student fees by $100 a year.

The plan means an increase in tuition rates in the province by $100 a year for the next five years.

However, Quebec would remain by far the cheapest place in Canada to receive a post-secondary education.

Parti Québécois Leader André Boisclair said Saturday that Charest is making students pay for his inability to negotiate post-secondary funding with  Ottawa.

With files from the Canadian Press