The PLQ redefines its vision of federalism

Photo: Ryan Remiorz The Canadian Press “There is a certain nationalist principle that structures Quebec political life and no party can truly deviate from it without risking being marginalized,” analyzes David Carpentier, a researcher and doctoral student in political science at the University of Ottawa. Dominique Anglade tried unsuccessfully to make such a change, but she quickly went back to square one.” In the photo, MNA Frédéric Beauchemin, who has indicated that he will make his candidacy official “soon.”

Olivier Du Ruisseau

Published at 4:53 p.m. Updated at 5:52 p.m.

• Québec

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At a time when the Parti Québécois is leading the polls, the youth wing of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) is holding its convention under the theme of “renewed federalism.”

Several observers see this as a symptom of a broader phenomenon in which the party would like to refocus debates in the Quebec public sphere on the constitutional question — in order, in particular, to win back the traditionally liberal federalists who migrated to the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) in 2018.

“It’s been a while since the youth wing of the PLQ asked questions about these issues. We clearly wanted to equip members so that they could defend their federalist option, especially if the PQ make independence a central issue during the 2026 elections,” estimates David Carpentier, doctoral student in political science at the University of Ottawa.

Mr. Carpentier was also invited to the congress, Saturday morning, in Montreal, to participate in a panel on “Quebec's place within the Canadian federation”.

At the same time, he observes that the candidates considered for the party leadership race, some of whom were present on Saturday, “do not really have the choice of taking a new nationalist turn to reconnect with the entire electorate.”

“There is a certain nationalist principle that structures Quebec political life and no party can truly deviate from it without risking being marginalized,” continues the researcher. Dominique Anglade tried unsuccessfully to make such a change, but she quickly returned to square one.”

Divergent speeches

Almost five months to the day before the official start of the PLQ leadership race, candidates have already begun to speak out on their vision of federalism. And their speeches diverge, albeit subtly.

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Denis Coderre, the first candidate to launch himself, last June, sent an open letter to various media outlets on Friday advocating an “assumed federalism,” rather than the “renewed federalism” that the organizers of the congress defended. “If there is one thing that does not interest many people, it is the Constitution,” he wrote, paradoxically.

“No one is going to doubt my federalism, but we need to refocus the debate on other issues,” said the former federal minister and mayor of Montreal on Saturday, in a press scrum.

Other candidates have spoken more about Canada-Quebec relations in their recent media appearances. This is the case for MP Frédéric Beauchemin, who says he should make his candidacy official “soon.” He is proposing the establishment of a Commission on Fiscal Imbalance to regulate federal government spending in provincial areas of jurisdiction, a proposal nevertheless supported by Mr. Coderre.

“François Legault's government has given up on developing a federalism that can make Quebec grow,” he lamented Saturday, hoping to focus more on his vision of federalism in his campaign, without promising that he would try to “reopen the constitution” if he were elected leader.

The same goes for Charles Milliard, who announced Friday that he would run. He says he wants to “take an interest in Canada” and “ask Ottawa for more powers.” As for the constitution, “it's an important subject,” he added, “but there is no appetite for debates on the subject among the electorate. We want to talk about health, culture, housing and purchasing power.”

Resolution on “renewed federalism”

The Young Liberals adopted a “Framework Resolution on Renewed Federalism” at their convention on Saturday. It provides that the Youth Commission will ask the party, if it is elected, to organize “a direct consultation of the Quebec population” when it “believes that the fundamental interests of the Quebec nation within the Canadian federation are at stake.”

Marc Tanguay did not comment on his party’s chances of actually adopting such a measure, which would amount to organizing a referendum if the federal position on an issue were contrary to that of the Quebec population. The result of this “direct consultation” would not, however, have any legal weight and would remain essentially symbolic, confirmed to Devoir an elected member of the executive of the PLQ Youth Commission.

The Young Liberals also adopted resolutions aimed at “improving Quebec’s entrepreneurial ecosystem” and “promoting the retention of international and non-Quebec students.” They also propose a “rebuilding of the Quebec education system,” with the establishment of a “Parent Commission 2.0” that would establish, among other things, a “framework of reference on the uses of artificial intelligence” in schools and that would integrate “the teaching of eloquence for half an hour per week as part of the Secondary 4 French course.”