The interim leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, Marc Tanguay, criticized François Legault on Friday for leading the “future” Quebec Coalition, since several of his reforms have still not materialized. Except that he had to admit that in his party too, several answers are “to come”, notably on the identity of its next leader and on the Canadian Constitution.
“It can be a show of hands: are there people who are still thinking about running for party leadership? », asked a journalist at the Liberal caucus, gathered to take stock of the parliamentary session which is ending.
The elected officials all burst out laughing. None raised their hands.
So far, the candidates considered for the leadership of the party – starting with Mr. Tanguay – have all refused to run for the position. The PLQ will elect its next leader in the spring of 2025, under the rules unveiled in October.
“We have a sequence in front of us,” nevertheless rejoiced Chief Tanguay. The interim leader assured that he would remain in office as long as he had the confidence of his caucus and the party, to which the Liberal MPs responded with applause.
A few months after tabling a report on the relaunch of the PLQ which suggested adopting a Quebec Constitution, Chief Tanguay sidestepped questions about the constitutional posture that aspirants to the party’s highest office should have.
A journalist asked him if a candidate for leadership could propose that Quebec sign the Constitutional Act of 1982. “Is there going to be a candidate who could propose that? It’s purely hypothetical,” replied Mr. Tanguay. “We, in the Liberal Party of Quebec, are in direct line, particularly with Robert Bourassa. This is the long-standing constitutional position of the Liberal Party of Quebec,” he added.
A “bad” government
As he did several times during parliamentary proceedings, Mr. Tanguay repeated that François Legault’s government was “bad”. “The CAQ is like a GPS that is constantly recalculating in progress, without ever guiding us with a clear vision,” he said.
“What does “future” mean in Coalition Avenir Québec? Well, that means, in two words, that it’s “coming soon,” he said. “This means that the negotiations [avec le secteur public], they will sort them out, “don’t worry, it’s coming”. The Quebec tramway? It’s coming. Emergency care in 90 minutes is coming. Solving the housing crisis? Future. »
Under the leadership of François Legault, “Quebec is stagnating,” he judged.
The fact remains that Quebecers prefer — for the moment and according to the most recent polls — the leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. A Léger poll on December 5 gives 5% support to Mr. Tanguay. “Can we always improve? Yes,” he agreed. He also recalled that “the door is wide open” to the PLQ for the return of MP Marie-Claude Nichols, excluded from the caucus in October 2022 after refusing responsibilities within the Liberal shadow cabinet.
Regarding Frédéric Beauchemin, removed from the Liberal caucus in October after a complaint of psychological harassment, Mr. Tanguay said he had “nothing new to announce” for the moment.