Women needed in Liberal leadership race, says Tanguay

Photo: Karoline Boucher The Canadian Press “I think it would be important to have female candidates. I hope so, and we’ll hope so,” said Marc Tanguay.

Marc Tanguay’s phone “keeps ringing” in the run-up to the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party. Satisfied, the interim leader of the political party would nevertheless like to hear more women on the other end of the line.

Back at the National Assembly for a press briefing, two weeks before the resumption of work, Mr. Tanguay did not hide his wish to see more women eyeing the party leadership, after a summer marked by new male candidacies.

“We will have those who will submit their candidacies. [But] I think it would be important to have female candidates. I hope so, and we will hope,” he told the parliamentary press on Tuesday.

On June 21, the summer had taken off with the arrival in the leadership race of former Montreal mayor and former minister Denis Coderre. It was then the turn of Charles Milliard, outgoing president and CEO of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, to launch himself, at the beginning of August.

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Federal minister and current Quebec lieutenant for Justin Trudeau’s government, Pablo Rodriguez, may not have confirmed his candidacy, but he is also being heavily courted to try his luck. MP Marwah Rizqy, one of the few women to have publicly considered the option of entering the race, ruled out the possibility at the end of last year.

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Asked about Mr. Rodriguez’s profile, Marc Tanguay did not want to take a position on Tuesday. “It’s the members who will decide who will be our next leader,” he simply replied.

According to a Léger poll-Le Journal de Montréalmade public at the end of the day on Tuesday, Denis Coderre sits at the top of the aspiring Liberal leaders, with 16% support among Liberal voters, against 13% for Mr. Rodriguez and 11% for Mr. Tanguay, who has nevertheless given up on the race. Charles Milliard, for his part, obtained 7% support.

“Everyone must pay their taxes,” says Tanguay

Interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay “hopes” that Denis Coderre — who is running for the leadership of the PLQ — will resolve his situation with Revenu Québec “soon.”

Le Journal de Montréal and La Presse reported last week that the tax authorities were demanding more than $66,000 in taxes from the former mayor of Montreal.

“Everyone must pay their taxes “Quebec,” Mr. Tanguay said at a press briefing Tuesday morning at the National Assembly.

“I'm not aware of the details. Denis Coderre said he was going to sort it out soon, well, I hope he sorts it out soon,” continued Marc Tanguay.

At the time of publication of this dispatch, the former federal minister had not responded to text messages from The Canadian Press asking if he had sorted out his situation with Revenu Québec.

Last week, he wrote on Facebook that “this whole matter is under control and will be sorted out shortly.”

The Canadian Press