A Quebec Liberal leader faces inevitable dilemmas ahead of an election, having to balance a variety of interests. The party is a broad coalition of political convictions — liberals and conservatives, federalists and nationalists — enjoying entrenched support in greater Montreal but ever-fluctuating appeal beyond it. This balancing act calls for a judicious leadership of political acumen and strategic wisdom, able to convince the majority electorate on a total commitment to Quebec’s identity and language.
Despite these challenges, the Quebec Liberal Party has ensured its presence as Quebec’s historic party over 159 years, a formidable achievement.
In the modern era, the QLP has been transformative, ushering major reforms in health and education, while creating key socio-economic levers, among which the Caisse de dépôt, Hydro-Québec, the Quebec Pension Plan and, more recently, the REM — and its signal achievement, the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
Charles Milliard faces steeper challenges than his Liberal predecessors — and the time has come to be bold, writes Clifford Lincoln. John Kenney / Montreal Gazette
The current Liberal leader, Charles Milliard, faces even steeper challenges than his predecessors. Today’s Quebec is very different from that of former Liberal premier Philippe Couillard, whose government for the first time in years of continuing budget deficits had not only balanced the books but left a surplus of around $5 billion — promptly swallowed up by the Coalition Avenir Québec in administrative inefficiency and waste, so that we are now saddled with an annual deficit of nearly $10 billion.
The CAQ mandate is marked not only by financial failure, but by a climate of regressive legislation and measures motivated by the pettiest of identity politics, which our new premier, Christine Fréchette, has confirmed her determination to keep firmly in place.
Fréchette has recently returned from a visit to France and has rightfully welcomed a new era of co-operation between Investissement Québec and Business France. I wonder if the premier realized this irony: Business France, would it want to establish an office here, would be flagged by our omnipresent Office québécois de la langue française for its illegal name. Business, horreur. A typical example of the ridicule in which we have mired ourselves.
The QLP must underscore its differences, which as history shows, have been greatly beneficial to the progress of Quebec.
It is noteworthy that despite the large majority of the Quebec electorate shunning both a referendum and sovereignty, the Parti Québécois and its leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, continue to top the polls. I suspect the conviction and consistency in the message may explain this contradiction.
In an election contested by several parties, the clarity and courage of the message become all the more decisive. For the Liberals, to make his mark on the electorate, Milliard will have to dare — to dare using reason and common sense even when they clash with the political orthodoxy of the moment.
Here are a few examples, in passing:
Maintaining the present vocational and adult learning programs untouched. Transferring them in bulk is regressive, hurtful to struggling members of society, and a mean political tactic — especially given the negative history of francization funding by the CAQ government. The accent should be placed on francization programs.
Denouncing the hypocrisy of touting the multilingual proficiency of Montreal when seeking a lucrative project, while tightening the noose when even the welcoming word “Hi” is attacked.
Reopening the doors to the ROC and international students, and treating McGill and Concordia as crucial institutions and contributors to Quebec — and not for cheap political advantage when vaunting Quebec’s assets.
Not being shy in identifying itself as a federalist party, not only in passing, but by including the federal symbol in public meetings. After all, it is the QLP which reinstated the presence of the Canadian flag in the Red Room of the National Assembly in 1985 after the PQ mandates.
Restoring the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms as Quebec’s prime statute, allowing the notwithstanding clause to lapse on expiry, and committing to never use it in the future, except in exceptional circumstances post-judgment.
The QLP must underscore its differences, which as history shows, have been greatly beneficial to the progress of Quebec. Time has come to be bold and say it like it is.
Clifford Lincoln is a former Quebec Liberal MNA and federal Liberal MP who retired from politics in 2004. He lives in Baie-D’Urfé.
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