Several prominent Parti Quebecois MNAs are suggesting that Premier Philippe Couillard might be importing the values of Saudi Arabia to Quebec.

Interim PQ leader Stéphane Bédard told reporters at the end of a two-day party caucus in St. Jean that his fellow MNAs are wondering why Couillard is hesitating to legislate state secularism.

Bedard noted that Couillard has previously worked in Saudi Arabia as a doctor and government adviser.

“He seems to be very much imbued with those values, that reality, that lifestyle. In Quebec, it's different. We can watch what is happening elsewhere but at the same time, we ask him not to import that reality here,” said Bedard.

Bedard asked why Couillard is in no rush to present a bill on the reasonable accommodations issue.

“He had many opportunities as leader of the opposition, MNA and now premier but he refuses to act,” said Bedard.

Couillard, who is attending an economic conference in Davos, Switzerland, rejected the comments.

“It’s borderline defamation but I don’t have time to waste with someone like that,” he said.

Later Thursday Bedard sought to clarify his remarks, noting that he was simply seeking to understand Couillard’s inaction on the dossier.

“The leader of the official opposition did not wish to suggest that the premier wants to implant Quebec with human rights violations that are taking place in Saudi Arabia at this very moment,” said a representative from Bedard's office.

PQ MNA Alexandre Cloutier, who is a leadership candidate, evoked the possibility that Couillard was turning a blind eye to human rights violations in Saudi because he once lived and worked there about 20 years ago.

Cloutier noted that Saudi Arabia has one of the worst levels of gender equality, largely due to Sharia law.

MNA Bernard Drainville, another leadership candidate, said that Couillard’s time in Saudi Arabia should have sensitized him to the debate on the place of religion in Quebec society.

“Due to his past in Saudi Arabia, he should fully understand why we need a society where women are equal to men,” said Drainville.

Drainville also urged Couillard to lobby former Saudi ambassador Turqi al Faisal al Saud about the treatment given to the blogger Raïf Badawi.

Badawi, whose wife and children live in Sherbrooke, Quebec, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and a 1,000 lashes for embracing liberal values and freedom of religion.

“Any time is a good time to talk about human rights,” said Cloutier.

Another PQ leadership candidate, Pierre Karl Peladeau noted that any interventions undertaken by Couillard would have no significant impact because Canada is in charge of international relations.

Couillard given mixed signals in recent days concerning his plans to present secularism legislation.

-With a file from The Canadian Press