The interim leader of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ), Marc Tanguay, failed to reinstate expelled MP Marie-Claude Nichols in caucus, even though he had made it his priority since his appointment last Thursday.
“I will have tried everything as far as the vice-presidency is concerned,” Mr. Tanguay said at a press briefing on Tuesday. The latter, who apologized to the MP for her exclusion, said he still wanted her to return to the ranks of the official opposition. “If Marie-Claude Nichols says ‘I want to put aside the third vice-presidency, Marc, can we discuss what my functions would be?’, the table is wide open to several possibilities”, he said. -he says.
The acting chief did an about-face on Monday evening, after proposing to Mme Nichols to occupy for two years the post of third vice-president of the National Assembly, which she coveted. This option considered in an “exploratory phase” was withdrawn by Mr. Tanguay to preserve “the cohesion of the team”, he said. The member for Viau, Frantz Benjamin, had threatened to leave the caucus if he lost part of this function which had been entrusted to him by the ex-chief Dominique Anglade.
Mr. Benjamin claimed in a short statement on Tuesday that “all that history” is now behind him. He fully supports the interim leader Marc Tanguay, he assured, at the Red Room of Parliament.
Asked whether his leadership was weakened after this episode, Marc Tanguay retorted that he was “based on the team”. “I rely on those, women and men, who were elected under the Liberal banner. »
The MNA for Vaudreuil said on 98.5 FM that she remained a Liberal, but preferred to wait for “the next leader” to return to the party. “I feel like they don’t even want me in my own caucus,” Ms.me Nicholas.
The latter maintained that there was never any question of needing “absolutely the third vice-presidency to reintegrate” the Liberal ranks. But according to him, the fact of having “learned in the media” that Marc Tanguay’s offer for the post was withdrawn is equivalent to “living for a second time an expulsion”.
Marie-Claude Nichols was ejected from the PLQ caucus on October 27 after refusing responsibilities within the shadow cabinet of Mr.me England. The latter resigned from her position as chief on November 7th.
Former elected Liberals had strongly criticized Dominique Anglade’s decision to exclude Marie-Claude Nichols from the caucus. The former leader had also failed to reintegrate her into the ranks of the party.
Liberals want to ‘look ahead’
As the start of work in the National Assembly nears on November 29, Marc Tanguay said it was “high time” to roll up our sleeves. The Liberals are holding a caucus on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week to prepare for the opening of the parliamentary session.
Liberal caucus chair Enrico Ciccone stressed how important it is to him to keep the Liberal team together. “The caucus has gone through some tough things lately, and now that’s why we have to look forward,” said the MP for Marquette. The latter said he was “deeply sorry for the way Marie-Claude felt”.
Mr. Tanguay also affirmed that “never in our history has the third vice-presidency of the National Assembly created so much turmoil”.
the PLQ now has 19 elected members in its ranks in the National Assembly, after the exclusion of Marie-Claude Nichols and the departure of Dominique Anglade.