MONTREAL

CAQ pledges to muscle aside 'ineffective' PQ

ctvmontreal.ca Published Wednesday, January 25, 2012 10:21PM EST

Francois Legault, centre left, leader of the Coalition Avenir Quebec, responds to questions following a caucus meeting. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot)

Text:

MONTREAL - With the Parti Quebecois wracked by internal feuding, Francois Legault's upstart Coalition Avenir Quebec won't waste any time making itself heard once the National Assembly resumes on Feb. 14.

"We will not find it acceptable if we aren't given the same speaking privileges that were given to the ADQ," said Legault after his party's first caucus meeting on Wednesday.

Having absorbed the Action democratique Quebec over the weekend, nine MNAs will carry the CAQ banner in the Spring session. Calling the PQ's role as official opposition "ineffective," Legault encouraged his parliamentarians to muscle the PQ aside.

"We've seen the fighting at the Parti Quebecois and I think the population has the right to see people who will remind the government of its responsibilities. To achieve that goal, we will need time to speak and we will demand it of the National Assembly," said Legault.

While the CAQ receives the now defunct ADQ's research budget, the party is looking to be recognized as a second opposition, a position that would see it receive thousands more in funding.

Facing the risk that the governing Liberals will not recognize his party, Legault warned that the population of Quebec wouldn't accept the rejection easily.

"For months now [Premier Jean] Charest and [PQ leader Pauline] Marois have demanded that the CAQ be created as a political party, it would be ironic if they didn't recognize us as a party," said Legault.

National Assembly rules require that a party have 12 elected MNAs in order to officially be recognized as a party, although the ADQ was given an exemption following the most recent election.

While Legault does not have a seat in the National Assembly, it is unlikely he will run until the next general election.

A full shadow cabinet was unveiled after the meeting on Wednesday:

Everyone's a critic

• Former ADQ leader Gerard Deltell is House Leader and National Resources critic,

• Sylvie Roy is Justice and Transportation critic,

• Benoit Charette is caucus president and and Cultural critic,

• Francois Bonnardel is Finance and Health critic,

• Eric Caire is Education critic,

• Janvier Grondin is Agriculture critic,

• Marc Picard is Treasury Board critic,

• Daniel Ratthe is Family affairs critic,

• François Rebello is economic development critic.