Division is growing in the Quebec Liberal ranks on religious schools

Quebec Liberal MNA Desiree McGraw responds to reporters questions over the Northvolt battery plant, October 3, 2023 at the legislature in Quebec City. Quebec Liberal Party interim Leader Marc Tanguay, left, looks on. (Jacques Boissinot / The Canadian Press)

Another Liberal MNA, Désirée McGraw, has joined her colleagues Elisabeth Prass and Frédéric Beauchemin in dissent on the issue of funding for religious schools following their party's about-face.

“It’s clear that all religious education must be funded by parents or other private means. In short, you can subsidise private religious schools without subsidising the teaching of a religion,” wrote McGraw on X. “I am therefore not in favour of ending subsidies to public schools, whether religious or not, as long as they comply with the Ministry of Education's curriculum and respect government standards.”

• WATCH: ‘Confusion over the term religious schools’ – Private Schools Association chair

Last week, during a debate on a Parti Québécois motion calling for an end to funding for denominational schools, Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy said her party's position had changed: “We now believe that we must stop funding religious schools in Quebec,” she said.

Marguerite-Bourgeoys MNA Frédéric Beauchemin -- who is also a leadership candidate -- was the first to break ranks, saying he was in favour of maintaining funding for denominational schools, in the name of parents' freedom of choice.

It was then the D'Arcy-McGee MNA Elisabeth Prass, who wrote on X that she did not support the end of subsidies for faith schools: “Our private religious schools are an essential pillar of many communities, including several private Jewish schools in my constituency and the surrounding neighbourhoods. As long as they play by the rules, they should not be threatened with the end of funding',” she said at the time.

On Saturday, the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) Political Committee announced that it was launching a consultation of its members on the subject.

Its report is due on March 31, 2025.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 28, 2024.