In his Column from October 19th in The Montreal Journal, Joseph Facal reiterates that “Quebec no longer needs the PLQ”. This text contains errors of fact that render its conclusion inadmissible.
Last week, the PLQ Revitalization Committee, which I co-chaired with Bourassa-Sauvé member Madwa-Nika Cadet, released its report Affirm, Rally, Prosper: A liberal project for all Quebecers. This 80-page document reports on the consultations we have conducted in all regions of Quebec over the past six months. It suggests what the intellectual foundations of the PLQ should be and suggests lines of thought that the party should consider in preparation for its 2026 election manifesto.
According to Mr Facal, the PLQ “stubbornly refuses” to carry out “a self-criticism, an examination of conscience”. I wonder how the columnist can come to such a statement after reading our report. In fact, it contains numerous criticisms that liberal activists have openly directed at their party. According to the committee’s summary, the Liberals “know change is necessary. Changes in the manner and tone with which liberal ideas are conveyed. Changes in the policies and projects they propose. Changes in the organization and communication of the party.”
For Joseph Facal, the PLQ “will remain in bad shape until it confronts the real cause of its decline, which is no longer being nationalist.” Whatever Mr. Facal thinks, the PLQ has never stopped being nationalist. I also note that the author says not a word about the clearly nationalist positioning of the Committee’s report on reconstruction, a positioning that was enthusiastically received at the party’s general meeting in Drummondville last weekend.
“Quebec is strong when it is united,” affirms the committee. For this reason, we advocate unifying nationalism, promoting the French language, defending the fundamental rights of citizens and ensuring the religious neutrality of the state.
Protecting and promoting Quebec’s interests has always been our top priority. We are a Quebec party made up of thousands of Quebecers from all regions, all ages and all cultures. It is true that this nationalism is not what Mr. Facal represents. We write: “In the face of the rise of a kind of conservative and defensive nationalism that fixes our collective identity in the past, we still claim to be the mainstream of nationalism that founded the success of modern Quebec.” Liberal nationalism is therefore modern, pluralistic, inclusive and unifying.”
According to the former PQ minister, “the current PLQ has become the standard-bearer of Anglophones and those who carry their suitcases.” This opinion is so dripping with contempt that it is surprising that it finds a place on the pages of a major daily newspaper. The Liberal Party of Quebec defends the interests and rights of all Quebecers, that is, of course, those of the French-speaking majority, but also those of the other residents of the province, whether they speak English or are allophones, because these people are full Quebecers. Unlike the separatists, we do not divide the population into good and bad Quebecers, between French-speaking and “ethnic voters.”
It is not because our nationalism does not lead to a separatist ideology that makes it less sincere and authentic. Our activists care deeply about Quebec. And if Mr. Facal had come to observe our General Council, he would have quickly realized that they are not “baggage carriers”; Rather, they are the sponsors of many projects for our country.
Quebec Liberal Party activists are clear: they know the party is going through a difficult time. But the restoration work has begun. The Restoration Committee report provides the party with a solid intellectual foundation. At the request of activists, the PLQ is rebuilding its organization and establishing contacts with Liberals across Quebec. In the coming months we will be increasingly present on site.
As the Legault government leads Quebec through division and the Parti Québécois dreams of going even further in that direction, the Quebec Liberal Party is proposing a Quebec that asserts itself within Canada, a united Quebec and a prosperous Quebec based on Justice and sustainable development. That’s why I say Quebec needs the PLQ more than ever.
Andre Pratte, Co-chair of the PLQ Revitalization Committee with MP Madwa-Nika Cadet
ANSWER FROM JOSEPH FACAL
On a personal level, I have great respect for André Pratte. However, nothing in his answer makes me change my conclusions. The PLQ is nationalist through and through. This is even less the case than the CAQ, which has nevertheless repeatedly met with rejection from the federal government. I will let our readers draw their own conclusions about the current state of the PLQ and its future prospects.
Joseph Facal