To encourage a “mixing of ideas”, the new president of the Youth Commission of the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ), Laurence Lefebvre, calls for the holding of a race to designate the new leader of the party as soon as possible.
“I honestly think that we are in a period where we are stagnating a lot”, supports the young woman of 22 years, in a virtual interview with The duty. The fact of having debates between candidates who would like to succeed Dominique Anglade – who left her post as leader last November – would lead to a renewed interest in the party, believes the one who was appointed to head the youth wing on March 16th.
During the pre-sessional Liberal caucus which took place at the end of January, the president of the PLQ, Rafael P. Ferraro, had however said that he was in no hurry to elect a new leader. The rules of the race are not yet known. Until then, Marc Tanguay holds the reins of the interim leadership.
According to Laurence Lefebvre, potential candidates for the leadership of the party should not be discouraged by the defeat of the Liberals in the by-election, on March 13, in the old red castle of Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne. “The fact that we find ourselves in a period that is more difficult, it must encourage them. It’s a challenge, she says enthusiastically. Me it encouraged me to continue to get involved. »
Québec solidaire, which delighted this liberal bastion located in southwestern Montreal, had an excellent campaign, she admits. “What differentiated them is precisely that they were able to connect with the electorate, which we were not able to do, unfortunately. »
“The fact also that we no longer know what it is to be liberal in 2023, that really does not help us,” she adds.
What does it mean, precisely, to be a young militant of the PLQ today? “It’s being a person who believes in the importance of the economy, but also of the environment, intergenerational equity and federalism,” explains Laurence Lefebvre, who is also a communications advisor for Sean Fraser, the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
“Being pro-federalist means not bickering with the federal government all the time,” she argues. Some wrangling with Ottawa is necessary, however, she adds. “Quebec remains a distinct nation in Canada and sometimes we have no choice: we have to take our place. »
The environment must be “saved now”
In last fall’s general election — which ended in a historic defeat for the Liberals with 14.37% of the popular vote — the party did not talk about the environment in the “right way,” argues Laurence Lefebvre. “We had great ideas, but we didn’t attack it in the right way,” said the one who has been a member of the party since 2017.
Few concrete and short-term solutions have been presented, she argues. “The environment needs to be saved now, not in 2050. What can we do from today to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions? »
According to the resident of Aylmer, in the west of Gatineau, more should have been said about access to public transport, particularly in the regions. This would have allowed liberals to connect more with younger people, she believes.
According to Mme Lefebvre, coming from the Outaouais will help him in his mandate at the Youth Commission. This is also where his mentor, André Fortin, was elected as the only PLQ MP outside the greater metropolitan area, on October 3 last. “It’s not for me booster the ego [….] but I think that maybe I have an advantage in being able to connect precisely with other realities”, she says, laughing.