Milliard wants 'profession of faith to Quebec' from PLQ leadership candidates

Quebec Liberal Party leadership candidate Charles Milliard. (LA PRESSE CANADIENNE/Justin Tang)

Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) leadership candidates who will be leaving their federal posts in the hopes of succeeding Dominique Anglade will have to make a "profession of faith to Quebec," believes prospect Charles Milliard, who says he "fears" that the provincial party will become a branch of its federal counterpart in Ottawa.

"I think the PLQ is an umbrella party that brings together all federal and provincial forces. I want us to be as inclusive as possible," he said at the Liberal caucus in Gatineau. "If there are people from the federal government running, I imagine they'll have to make a profession of faith towards Quebec."

When asked what he meant by a "profession of faith," Milliard said it includes being "extremely focused on the Quebec identity."

"Quebec identity is about valuing all the different cultures and communities in Quebec," he said. "It's about speaking to the French-speaking majority in a language that is very clear and that can also make Quebecers dream."

Former federal minister and former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre, who is also a candidate in the PLQ leadership race, was noticeably absent from the caucus on Tuesday.

Federal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who was also not in Gatineau, has yet to reveal whether he intends to run.

For his part, Milliard reiterates that he plans to run in the 2026 election whether he wins or loses the leadership.

He has not yet decided which riding he wants to run in but says it will not be on the island of Montreal.

The aspiring Liberal leader has also ruled out Terrebonne, which became vacant after Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon stepped down.

Asked about his political position, he says he wanted to pursue "economic development in a significant and assertive way to finance social progress."

"I think I'm extreme centre, but if you want me to be more specific, I would say maybe centre-right," he said.

Another candidate, tax lawyer Marc Bélanger, was also present at the PLQ caucus.

When asked about his lack of notoriety, he says he's up for the challenge.

"I think my candidacy is certainly serious, given my economic background and my involvement," he said. "I've been involved in politics for over 20 years...and I can guarantee you that there are things I'm going to do to raise my profile and make myself known to the public."

Heavily questioned by journalists in Gatineau, Frédéric Beauchemin, Liberal MNA for Marguerite-Bourgeoys, refused to say whether he would run, even though everything points in that direction.

He says he has been thinking about it for several months.

"My priority is to represent the citizens of Marguerite-Bourgeoys and ensure that the economic and financial files are well taken care of," he said. "If I launch my candidacy for the leadership race, it will be to work, obviously, to win that leadership race."

Pre-session caucus

PLQ members are meeting for a pre-sessional caucus in Gatineau from Sept. 3 to 5.

This is an opportunity for elected officials to prepare the ideas they wish to put forward during the next parliamentary session at the National Assembly.

The Liberals say they intend to keep up the pressure on François Legault's government, particularly when it comes to public finances.

The latest budget forecasts a deficit of $11 billion.

Although the leadership race is beginning to generate some interest, it could monopolize a lot of media space to the detriment of elected Liberals wanting to put their issues forward.

There are already numerous challenges facing the next Liberal leader: the polls are not moving in their favour, support among Francophones is sparse, young people have deserted the party and they don't currently have support in the regions.

The race officially begins in January 2025 and the new Liberal leader is expected to be chosen in the summer.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 4, 2024.