Marc Tanguay named interim leader of Quebec Liberal Party

Quebec’s Liberal Party has a new interim leader, veteran Montreal-area MNA Marc Tanguay.

This comes after Dominique Anglade announced her resignation on Monday, five weeks after the party suffered a crushing election defeat.

Tanguay, who was chosen by his fellow caucus members, has represented the eastern Montreal riding of Lafontaine since a byelection win in 2012.

He’s expected to fill the role until a new official leader of the opposition is elected in 2023.

“Let me put it, this, very clearly, we will be ready November, the 29th. And that’s a message for Mr. Legault, for the CAQ Government, the official opposition will be ready. So, I hope they will be as well.”

In a press conference at the National Assembly on Thursday afternoon, he said he will take some time to reflect on if he will run for the permanent top job with the party.

“With respect to my role as the interim leader, I have two great, I think, examples from he past. I have Jean-Marc Fournier, 2012‑2013. I have Pierre Arcand, 2018‑2020. And these great examples will inspire me and will guide me.”

Sitting members Andre Fortin and Monsef Derraji declined to run for the interim post and told reporters they had not closed the door on running for the official leadership.

Quebec Liberal interim Leader Marc Tanguay waves to Liberal workers while applauded by the Liberal caucus and the Party president Rafael Primeau Ferraro, left, at a news conference at the Legislature in Quebec City,Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. Tanguay was chosen by the Liberal Party and its caucus to replace Dominique Anglade who quit earlier this week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Anglade, the first Black woman to lead a major Quebec political party, is also resigning as member for the Montreal riding of St-Henri-Ste-Anne as of Dec. 1.

On Monday, she said the Liberals faced a reality check in the last provincial campaign and she was personally disappointed with the results. Adding the party needs to renew itself and the way it does politics.

Her leadership had been under pressure since the party elected just 21 members in the Oct. 3 election – down from 31 in the 2018 vote.

The party maintained official Opposition status, but saw its share of the popular vote drop to less than 15 per cent, receiving fewer votes than Quebec solidaire and the Parti Quebecois.

In recent weeks, current and past members of the party had come out – some anonymously – to question her authority and say she no longer had the confidence of members.

The tension within the party erupted shortly after the election, when Anglade ejected Marie-Claude Nichols from caucus after a disagreement over shadow cabinet roles. Anglade reversed position, but Nichols refused to return and said the Liberal leader was unable to to properly lead the party.

Tanguay addressed this with reporters on Thursday: “First, there is no division within the caucus. And that being said, we cannot aloud division in the future. But there is no division as we speak. We have a strong caucus, new MNAs, MNAs with experience, and we’ll put forward our A game in front of the CAQ Government.”

Anglade, 48, was acclaimed leader of the Liberals in 2020 after her only opponent – Alexandre Cusson – withdrew before the vote.

– With files from The Canadian Press