Decryption | Liberals dream of a constitution, but not Denis Coderre

The Parti Québécois (PQ) is holding its lead in the polls while promising to hold a third referendum on sovereignty. The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government has created a committee to decide how to increase Quebec’s autonomy within Canada. In this context, and on the eve of a leadership race that will determine its future, the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) is also launching into constitutional debates. But the subject is already dividing its aspiring leaders. Analysis.

For a constitution for Quebec

In a video published Monday, the two co-chairs of the committee on the affirmation of Quebec of the PLQ’s national political commission, strategist and former Liberal candidate in Quebec Julie White and political commentator on RDI Antoine Dionne Charest, affirm that Quebecers want the province to have a real written constitution.

In a partisan tone, the son of former premier Jean Charest added that such a law would unite citizens “against the PQ for whom immigrants and Canada are the source of all problems,” but also against the CAQ and its laws that “stigmatize” those who speak a language other than French. The video was presented to the Liberal caucus last Saturday in Montreal on the sidelines of a gathering of its youth wing on the theme of the renewal of federalism.

Talking about the constitution, a good idea?

But already, the question of the constitution does not enchant all aspiring leaders. In a text he recently published on his social networks, the former mayor of Montreal and announced candidate in the race Denis Coderre wrote that his summer tour of the regions allowed him to conclude that “if there is one thing that does not interest many people, it is the constitution.” The latter told us Monday that his text still reflects his thoughts and that he would not put this issue forward.

The other candidate announced in the race, Charles Milliard, is more enthusiastic. “I have the ambition that together we give Quebec a constitution,” he said. MNA Frédéric Beauchemin, who must also confirm that he will be in the race in the coming weeks, believes that “it is a unifying project.” The other politicians in the process of considering it, federal minister Pablo Rodriguez and Victoriaville mayor Antoine Tardif, have not made any statements.

On November 9 and 10 in Lévis, the PLQ’s national political commission will propose to members gathered in convention to adopt resolutions to commit the party to proposing a mechanism that would provide Quebec with a constitution, if it takes power in 2026. This would list fundamental elements of Quebec, such as the Charter of the French Language and the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. What would it say about secularism? The debate must take place. These orientations would be adopted before the official start of the leadership race, which begins in January.

A long-debated idea

The idea of ​​a Quebec constitution is not new to the PLQ, or even to Quebec politics. As early as 1984, former Premier René Lévesque had mandated a constitutional expert to look into the issue. Other governments and other parties have subsequently studied different scenarios, the most recent (which has not seen the light of day) having been developed by the current Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette.

Last June, Quebec instead appointed former advisor to Minister Jolin-Barrette, former PQ candidate and law professor Guillaume Rousseau, as well as former Liberal minister Sébastien Proulx, to chair a committee that must deliver concrete ideas by October 15 to increase Quebec’s autonomy within Canada.

Their recommendations could include, it is confirmed, the adoption of a provincial constitution. “The Liberal Party is in catch-up mode,” they say in government.

At the PLQ, the committee on the revival of the party, co-chaired by former senator André Pratte and MNA Madwa-Nika Cadet, had recommended developing a Quebec constitution in its report published in the fall of 2023. At the Liberal general council in Drummondville, a few weeks later, interim leader Marc Tanguay had declared that his party wanted to provide Quebec with a “liberal constitution”, that is, a “super law” that would protect Quebec in the future from “bad PQ-CAQ decisions”.

A now partisan issue

The constitution of Quebec is therefore likely to become an issue that will divide the political parties and fuel debates this fall at the Salon bleu. The Parti Québécois, which is due to publish a “blue book” in the spring of 2025 that will outline the contours of a sovereign Quebec, is already having fun pointing out that the Liberals now recognize that Quebec’s status quo within Canada is untenable.

The CAQ government says for its part that the official opposition is “desperate”, while Québec solidaire, which is recovering from a crisis following the shock resignation of Émilise Lessard-Therrien last spring, recalls that it has proposed since its founding to entrust the drafting of a constitution to an autonomous constituent assembly of political parties.

Antoine Dionne Charest wants to be a candidate in 2026

Antoine Dionne Charest, a political commentator on RDI and an active activist in official Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) bodies, has announced that he wants to be a Liberal candidate in the 2026 provincial election in order to become an MNA. However, the son of former Premier Jean Charest has not indicated in which riding he would like to run. Mr. Dionne Charest has also not indicated whether he is already supporting a candidate in the PLQ leadership race, which will officially begin next January. A PhD student in philosophy, Mr. Dionne Charest has been a member of the PLQ’s political committee since 2018. Within the party, he is known for defending themes such as the constitution, the protection of individual freedoms and interculturalism.

Hugo Pilon-Larose, The Press