The leader of the Liberal party of Quebec is disappointed that an MNA chose to go public with a dispute over the Charter of Values instead of coming to him directly.

MNA Fatima Houda-Pepin wrote a letter to the Canadian Press this week, and said in several interviews, that she was upset with comments made by Marc Tanguay, the secularism critic, that the party would accept a candidate who wore a chador.

The chador is a cloak which extends over the head but does not cover the face and has been worn by many Iranian women. It is widely perceived as an instrument of cultural oppression, and Houda-Pepin said that Tanguay was wrong to say the party would support a candidate who wears one.

Couillard said he agreed with Houda-Pepin's views, pointing out that no woman who wore a chador would ever become a Liberal candidate.

"There would never be any Liberal riding association that would accept a person wearing a chador and as Liberal leader I would never accept any candidate wearing a chador," Couillard said.

However the Liberal leader made it clear he did not appreciate the way Houda-Pepin made her views public.

"We are in agreement with many things that Fatima said," said Couillard.

"We are not forbidding anyone to express themselves, but in a team, people have to talk to other teammates first."

He said that Houda-Pepin had to reach out and apologize to the Liberal caucus.

"We've made many calls, I've made many calls, but she has not returned them," said Couillard.

Charter an attack on women: Couillard

While some critics have construed Houda-Pepin's letter as support for the Charter of Values, the MNA reiterated on Friday that she does not favour the ban on religious symbols.

"I am not in favour of the Charter as it is currently written," said Fatima Houda-Pepin Friday in a radio interview. She also said that the chador is a direct assault on gender equality.

Couillard also said that the Charter, despite its language pretending to ensure the equality of men and women, is actually a direct assault on women in Quebec.

"Let's be clear: the Parti Quebecois wants to fire women who are currently active in the workplace. This is the truth they cannot bring themselves to clearly state to the Quebec public," Couillard said.

"The Charter of Values is a false solution to a false problem."

Infighting

Prior to sending out her note, Houda-Pepin reportedly defied Couillard in a caucus meeting Wednesday, criticizing the Liberal leader for not thinking the issue through sufficiently.

PQ MNA Bernard Drainville, who is steering the legislation, seized on the infighting amongst his rivals to criticize Couillard's apparent inconsistency.

“He now says that he opposes the chador for Liberal candidates but he remains in favour of it for bureaucrats and teachers. Do you get it? I don’t and I’m sure I’m not the only one,” he said.

“We no longer know what the Liberal’s policy is on the Charter of Values,” said Drainville.

Former Premier Jacques Parizeau also weighed in, suggesting that all parties get together and reach a consensus on the contents of the charter.

“We shouldn’t shy away from a debate and it’s no surprise that there is dissent within parties, perhaps that’s a sign of maturity,” he said in a speech in Montreal.