(Québec) Le possible retour de Jean Charest sur la scène fédérale divise la Colline parlementaire à Québec. Celle qui dirige désormais son ancien parti, la cheffe du Parti libéral du Québec, Dominique Anglade, refuse de « s’immiscer dans une course au leadership ». Du côté du Parti québécois et de Québec solidaire, on associe sans détour son legs politique à celle de la corruption des institutions publiques.
Publié à 11h51
Mis à jour à 12h18
Selon le chef du Parti québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, l’héritage de Jean Charest est d’avoir « d’une certaine manière normalisé la corruption en la banalisant ».
« L’impunité dans une démocratie, c’est la pire chose. S’il n’y a pas de conséquences, s’il n’y a pas de punition lorsqu’on corrompt le ministère des Transports et qu’on fait de la politique en finançant son parti en échange de contrats gonflés, s’il n’y a pas de punition pour ça et qu’on peut retourner en politique après au Canada, ça parle du Canada et c’est triste qu’on n’ait pas eu de responsables pour des choses aussi graves », a-t-il dit mardi dans le foyer de l’Assemblée nationale.
Avant lui, la cheffe libérale Dominique Anglade, à la tête du parti anciennement dirigé par Jean Charest lorsqu’il était premier ministre, a commenté son possible retour avec prudence.
« C’est un choix qui lui appartient et […] I’m not going to interfere in a leadership race,” she declared, commending her predecessor’s record on the provincial scene in terms of parity in the Cabinet.
Nadeau-Dubois perceives discomfort
The leader of Quebec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, said in turn that the “malaise” of Mme Anglade regarding Jean Charest’s return to politics was “palpable” on Tuesday.
“I understand her, she goes out of her way to convince Quebecers that her party, the Liberal Party of Quebec, has become a progressive party. I think the return of Jean Charest would complicate his task quite a bit,” he said.
“Jean Charest’s legacy is a democracy weakened by corruption. It is an area devastated in terms of the environment. This is a historic delay in our fight against climate change and these are public services in ruins,” added Mr. Nadeau-Dubois.
Despite these criticisms, Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois recalled that the final decision to return to politics belonged to Jean Charest, while the former Liberal leader was never arrested or charged concerning the investigations into corruption within his old party.
“But politically, it’s still not nothing,” said Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. My former colleague Amir Khadir often spoke of Jean Charest as the number one suspect in corruption in Quebec. The investigations never came to fruition unfortunately, but these are very, very, very heavy suspicions and I think they should give pause to people considering voting for him. »
“It’s a legacy that, in my eyes, is indefensible. It’s up to the public to judge,” said Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.
Jean Charest, who was Premier of Quebec with the Liberal Party, was also leader of the former Progressive Conservative Party in the 1990s on the federal scene. He could announce his intentions in the coming days to run in the race to succeed former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole.
On the legal level, Mr. Charest is also suing the Quebec government for violation of his privacy in the wake of leaks concerning the investigation of the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC) on the financing of the Liberal Party of Quebec.