Opinion: the Quebec Liberal Party must remain true to its values

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Members of the Quebec Liberal Party will meet this weekend in Quebec City. With their party well below the Avenir Québec Coalition at the polls, and their support among French-speaking voters barely reaching the 10 percent level, liberals have a choice: either reaffirm their ingrained values ​​and principles, or take a necessary nationalist turn, as several commentators have suggested.

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I am not a member of the party, but I will attend the convention as an observer. I will be curious to see if the party’s leader, Dominique Anglade, and the assembled members will defend the historic liberal ideas that have been at the heart of the party’s purpose and action for more than 150 years.

I am concerned that liberal values ​​are declining in Quebec. If this decline continues, staunch nationalists will not be challenged in provincial politics and in the media. This would not be good for fundamental rights in the province. I also believe that it would lead to a weakening of Quebec’s place in the Canadian federation and it would be bad for the Quebec economy.

Some signs are more worrisome than others. Anglade has decided to leave the fundamental decisions on Bill 21 in the hands of the courts. The Liberal leader also appeared to welcome Bill 96 with open arms, even if the language bill raises major concerns regarding the fundamental rights of Quebecers.

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On Bill 21, a truly liberal position would be to commit to lifting the shameful ban on religious symbols for teachers.

Regarding Bill 96, a truly liberal position is being adopted by some liberal NAMs, among them Hélène David and David Birnbaum, who have been emphasizing every day in the National Assembly that the clause nevertheless used in the bill It is the most general suspension of the rights of Quebecers in the history of the province; in fact, no fewer than 38 clauses of the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms are set aside to pave the way for the new CWC language policy. Unfortunately, his work has not had an impact in the media and is therefore unknown to most Quebecers.

Are these positions popular? In today’s political climate, maybe not. But in the long run, Quebecers respect and vote for politicians who uphold their principles. Isn’t this what politics is all about?

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The Quebec Liberal Party does not have to prove its link to Quebec; it suffices to name some of the previous leaders of the party: Godbout, Lapalme, Lesage, Bourassa, Johnson, Charest. Moving towards a more extreme nationalist position will not win additional votes for the Liberals; those votes are solidly on the CAQ bag. Furthermore, abandoning the traditional liberal approach to minority and language issues runs the risk of demoralizing party activists, a situation that could have serious implications on election night in less than a year.

During this weekend’s convention, journalists will focus on Anglade’s speeches on Friday evening and Sunday. These speeches are indeed an opportunity like no other for the leader to share her vision with party members.

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I, of course, will listen carefully to the speeches. But I will also be attentive to what the party members have to say. How do you see the election your party is facing? Should it fall prey to the radical nationalist siren song or should it remain true to its values?

From what I’ve been hearing, I suspect that most of the members would prefer the latter. I therefore hope that Anglade, committed as she is to listening to the rank and file of the party, will come out of this weekend’s meetings with a renewed commitment to her primary duty as a liberal leader: to confidently defend liberalism.

André Pratte is a director of the Montreal consulting firm Navigator and a senior fellow at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. He is a former journalist and senator.