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The unfolding campaign for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party looms large as a pivotal time for the party to renew itself through several months of vigorous exchange of policies and ideas that aim to strike a chord among electors and pave the way toward its revival as a province-wide political force.
Inevitably, candidates will present their views and platforms on the key budgetary challenges facing Quebec: how they intend to achieve a progressive and sustainable economy while addressing the soaring budget deficit; how they will restore effectiveness and confidence in the crucial sectors of health and education, currently so destabilized and dispirited; how they will reach our environmental goals while mitigating the increasingly frequent and devastating impacts of climate change; and what plans they have in mind for securing the supply of our ever-demanding energy needs.
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No doubt they will address their views on the participation of Quebec within the Canadian federation, and tell us how they intend to play a firm but frank and co-operative role as bona fide partners. It is this positive role that distinguishes Liberals from other major parties in the National Assembly.
There is one crucial issue that one hopes will be debated openly and thoroughly, so that the respective positions of the candidates become known without the least ambiguity: the core issue of how the Liberal party sees itself and acts as being liberal. It is high time the QLP proclaimed its tenets loudly and clearly as the party of individual rights and human freedoms — the founder of the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
There is a feeling that the current government’s two last electoral victories and its highly assertive nationalism have engendered an unfortunate shyness within the QLP in proclaiming its beliefs as the historic advocate and defender of individual and minority rights. There seems to be a notion that the huge decline in the francophone vote stems from the party not being sufficiently nationalist and viewed simply as the party of the minorities.
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I strongly hope for one or more candidates to forcefully dispel the sense that liberals and Liberals must hide their light under a bushel for fear of appearing too federalist or too close to minorities.
I strongly hope as well that one or more candidates will have the courage to address the illiberal and autocratic legislation enacted by the Coalition Avenir Québec, especially Bill 96, and commit themselves to amend its most abusive provisions, including the deletion of the notwithstanding clause.
Besides, we should expect commitments to restore the primacy of the Charter and void the discriminatory and senseless measures and directives imposed on the two Montreal English-language universities, on English CEGEPs, and more recently in the health-care system.
There is no contradiction between such commitments and the essential one to ensure the integrity, quality and perennity of French within a truly francophone Quebec.
This leads me to refer to the possibility of federal minister Pablo Rodriguez joining the leadership race. It is with regret that I must say that while I recognize his intelligence, his efficiency and political experience both in Quebec and federally, I cannot support his candidacy, and I am not alone in this. I would not be true to myself to back a candidate who voted twice in favour of Bloc Québécois motions in support of Bill 96 and was a willing advocate for Bill C-13, which inserted Bill 96 into its fold by statutory reference while abrogating the historic duality of Canada’s official languages.
Finally, in proclaiming clearly and forthrightly its faith in a vibrant French Quebec as well as its liberal tenets, the QLP should not fear alienating the francophone vote. Since the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s, there have been 18 elections in Quebec, not less than 10 of them won by the Liberals, which means positive support from the francophone majority.
Electors far and wide across Quebec are wise, fair and ready to listen and be convinced. What they seek is a clear, caring and truthful case of your plans and convictions, of exactly where you stand.
Clifford Lincoln resigned from the Quebec cabinet in 1988 over the use of the notwithstanding clause in Bill 178. He later served as a federal MP. As a member of the QLP, he will be voting for its new leader in June 2025. He lives in Baie-D’Urfé.
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