The nationalist turn proposed by the rescue group was met with opposition in the General Assembly of Quebec’s Liberal Party on Saturday. While some were open to it, others wanted to narrow its scope.
This desire to reclaim the nationalist label associated with the CAQ over the years was the subject of several interventions on the site of the event, which brought together around 400 activists in Drummondville.
Some, like former Liberal minister Luc Fortin, see it simply as a “back to basics” embodied in Jean Lesage’s “Mistress ses nous.”
His former colleague, David Birnbaum, went so far as to convince journalists that Anglophones “must make adjustments” to promote French in Quebec. For example, the Quebec constitution proposed by the Recovery Committee could be an interesting avenue, said the former MP.
But other activists were outraged that such a change was even being considered. “Is it necessary to go to the level of calling yourself a nationalist? We are especially proud to be ‘non-nationalists’,” François Villeneuve announced at the microphone to a plenary session commenting on the report led by André Bratte and MP Mathwa-Nika Cadet.
Federal “here to stay”
An enthusiast riding a Jacques-Cartier in West Montreal was still undecided. “Quebec is a nation, but if Quebec thinks I have to be a nationalist to be liberal, it’s not. […] I remain a federalist I’m here to stay“, she said into the microphone.
For his part, one Lewis operative insisted that the party should present itself above all as a “federal nationalist” to avoid confusing newcomers.
The president of the Laurentides Political Commission, André Leclerc, expressed his initial surprise at the proposal, even if he now supports it. The CAQ, he explained, defined nationalism as “what divides, divides”.
The PLQ must therefore offer a more unifying “liberal nationalism”, he insists. “Today you revived my pride in being a liberal. In the last two years, like many of you, I was a bit confused,” underlines André Leclerc.
Passing through the corridors of the event, the former adviser to Robert Bourassa and Jean Charest acknowledged that nationalism had met with some opposition. “Perhaps it is not a protest that causes a gap, but there will be those who disagree, but will mobilize. Otherwise, they will not be liberal…”, underlines Ronald Boupard.
Attack on Anglo Universities
The difference between the Liberal and CAQ approaches was highlighted by the Legault government’s harsh criticism of its decision to double tuition fees for Canadian students from outside Quebec.
The PLQ’s interim leader believes this is a “clearly unacceptable” decision that will harm the Quebec economy by discouraging Canadian students from attending Quebec universities. “Francois Legault is a PQ player in the closet, and then, sometimes, we see him coming out. He is a PQ who wants to divide, he bases his political career, he bases his elections on dividing Quebecers,” declared Mr. Tanguay.
Antoine Dion Charest, who attended the public panel, also strongly condemned the Legault government’s decision. “This is a frontal attack not only against English-speaking companies in Quebec, but against the English-speaking community,” began the son of former premier Jean Charest.
“We are causing irreparable damage to Quebec companies,” believes a participant in the PLQ revival committee.
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