(Quebec) The Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ), bottoming in the polls, is laying the groundwork for its revival after a historic defeat. He is setting up a committee, co-chaired by former editor André Pratte and MP Madwa-Nika Cadet, that will present a report next fall updating the party’s values and defining its raison d’être.
Posted at 4:30 p.m
Accompanied by party leader Rafaël Primeau-Ferraro, Mr Pratte and Ms Cadet on Thursday introduced the members of their committee, which also includes Antoine Dionne Charet, longtime activist and son of former Prime Minister Jean Charest, as former MPs like the former interim leader Pierre Arcand and former ministers Lucie Charlebois and Jean D’Amour.
“The government of the Coalition avenir Québec is not eternal. History tells us that one day, perhaps sooner than we think, Quebecers will look for an alternative solution. When that day comes, the Quebec Liberal Party must be ready. And to be ready, the party and its activists need to commit to it before crafting a future election manifesto [leurs] core values,” said André Pratte.
“It doesn’t mean we’re going to change. This means that we have to evolve as a political current [et] adapt the embodiment of our values to new contexts,” he added.
A report before the race
The committee’s report will be presented to activists at an official party event in the fall. To date, the PLQ has around 20,000 members. Important detail: the next party leader will not be linked to the conclusions formulated by the reinstatement committee. Race rules will be announced later this year in spring or fall.
“Our party values are strong. We know them well. They are universal and we will not change them,” Liberal Party leader Rafaël Primeau-Ferraro said on Thursday.
Our role will not be to write the party’s next manifesto, but to provide a framework, a guide, a compass […] a piece of the puzzle, a crucial piece, a piece of the foundation.
Madwa-Nika Cadet, member of the PLQ
According to the latest Léger poll, published in Le Devoir earlier this month, the PLQ brings up the rear in terms of voting intentions among the parties represented in the National Assembly. On February 28, the polling institute estimated that the Liberals received the support of 14% of voters, while among Francophones they received just under 4% of the support.