Dominique Anglade’s leadership is shaken after the expulsion of a member of the Liberal caucus. Former elected officials publicly state that they would not vote for her if a vote of confidence were to take place today.
• Read also: Discord in the PLQ: MP Nichols ejected from the Liberal caucus
• Read also: Marie-Claude Nichols excluded from caucus: a “surreal” situation, according to Marie Montpetit
“As long as Ms. Anglade doesn’t show me another way of doing things, I won’t be able to vote for her,” former Liberal MP Paule Robitaille, whose term ended on October 3, told QUB radio. .
The day before, MP Marie-Claude Nichols was excluded from the caucus after refusing the position of transport critic proposed by Ms. Anglade.
She wanted to be named third vice-president of the National Assembly, a position for which the deputy Frantz Benjamin was preferred to her.
Former ministers Lise Thériault and Serge Simard also declared that they would not support the Liberal leader during the vote of confidence which must take place during the next year (see below).
Without commenting on the vote of confidence, former minister Gaétan Barrette believes that the current situation sends a “negative message for the image of the party” and that an accommodation should have been found to allow Ms. Nichols to stay.
“There is still a way to reverse the situation. It would be an excellent decision, for the leader and the party, to back down, ”he notes.
- Listen to Yasmine Abdelfadel’s interview with Paule Robitaille, MNA for the riding of Bourassa-Sauvé in the National Assembly on QUB Radio:
No alternative
Under cover of anonymity, another former Liberal elected judge the situation very “regrettable” for the party.
“Seems to me we have a lot bigger challenges,” he said. This ex-MP recalls that Ms. Anglade was crowned head of the PLQ, for lack of rivals, and that no one seems interested in the leadership. “There is no other alternative,” he insists.
Despite everything, certain well-known liberals believe that this new crisis “is the straw that broke the camel’s back”.
The leadership of the Liberal leader is “weakened” and many do not see how she will be able to recover from this new psychodrama in the caucus. “We have to find a competitive leader for the 2026 election”, we underline behind the scenes.
Nichols will remain an MP
For her part, Marie-Claude Nichols ensures that she will remain in office as an independent MP and that she does not plan to join another political party.
“My values do not change, they remain liberal,” she said in a short written statement.
Dominique Anglade declined to comment.
– With the collaboration of Alain Laforest, TVA Nouvelles
STRONG REACTIONS
“If we have someone who divides, we cannot rebuild a party under conditions like these. »
– Paule Robitaille, former MP for Bourassa-Sauvé
“It’s as if we’re sending the message: no matter what you think, you better say like us, because otherwise I’m going to exclude you from the caucus… We’re not in a dictatorship there, frankly . »
– Lise Thériault, former MP for Anjou–Louis-Riel
“It’s clear that if there was a leadership race and if I still had my Liberal card, I wouldn’t vote for Dominique Anglade. »
– Serge Simard, former MP for Dubuc