Division grows within the PLQ over the issue of funding religious schools

Photo: Jacques Boissinot The Canadian Press D’Arcy-McGee MP Elisabeth Prass wrote on X that she does not support ending subsidies to denominational schools.

Thomas Laberge – The Canadian Press in Quebec City

Posted at 14:15 Updated at 17:54

• Québec

Another Liberal MP, Désirée McGraw, joins the dissent of her colleagues Elisabeth Prass and Frédéric Beauchemin on the issue of funding religious schools after their party's about-face.

“It is clear that all religious education must be funded by parents or other private means. In short, we can subsidize private religious schools without subsidizing the teaching of a religion,” wrote Ms. McGraw on the social network X.

“I am therefore not in favour of ending subsidies to private schools, whether religious or not, provided that they comply with the curriculum of the Ministry of Education and respect government standards,” she added.

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Last week, during a debate on a Parti Québécois motion calling for an end to funding for denominational schools, Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy said that her party's position had just changed. “We now believe that we must stop funding religious schools in Quebec,” she said.

Marguerite-Bourgeoys MNA Frédéric Beauchemin – who is also running for leadership – was the first to step out of line, saying he was in favour of maintaining funding for denominational schools, in the name of parental freedom of choice.

It was then D’Arcy-McGee MP Elisabeth Prass who wrote on X that she did not support ending funding to denominational schools. “Our private religious schools are a vital pillar of many communities, including many private Jewish schools in my riding and surrounding neighbourhoods. As long as they follow the rules, they should not be threatened with funding cuts,” she said.

On Saturday, the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) Policy Committee announced that it was launching a consultation with members on the subject. Its report must be submitted on March 31, 2025.

A decision taken quickly ?

Liberal MPs contacted by The Canadian Press last Friday said they were comfortable with their party's new position on religious schools. Two of them – Virginie Dufour (Mille-Îles) and Jennifer Maccarone (Westmount–Saint-Louis) – admitted, however, that the decision was made quickly and that it would have been preferable to consult the members.

The caucus' about-face also forced the various leadership candidates to position themselves in the debate. Former Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said he had “a serious and profound unease” with the decision and the way it was made.

Former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez indicated that “if there is religious education in private schools, it must be in the evenings and on weekends, that is to say outside of normal school hours, and paid for by parents.”

Charles Milliard proposed holding a general assembly on education.

Tax lawyer Marc Bélanger stated that “the urgent thing is to enforce our rules in all our schools. The issue of secularism is important and decisions must be made calmly if we want to do things well.”

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• Oppositions demand end to funding for religious schools
• Wave of support for Liberal MP Marwah Rizqy