Quebec Liberal Party leadership race officially begins

The race for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) officially begins Monday.

Charles Milliard, former CEO of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Quebec, held a press conference Monday morning at the party’s office in Montreal and received the endorsement of Raymond Bachand, former PLQ Finance Minister.

In his speech, Bachand said that Milliard represents youth and experience in this race, and that he is not a career politician like others.

“I think the Liberal Party of Quebec is at a crossroads right now,” Milliard told CityNews. “We need a breath of fresh air.”

“New people with new ideas with a new tone also,” he added. “I want to represent that.”

The former Finance Minister believes that Milliard is the best candidate to “return to a balanced budget, but without austerity.”

Former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez also held a press conference a little later in the morning in downtown Montreal and Marguerite-Bourgeoys MNA Frédéric Beauchemin, who had been a fifth candidate for the leadership, announced he was officially withdrawing from the race to support Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, 57, is the likely front-runner, but he carries the baggage of spending nine years in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government. In September he resigned as transport minister and from the Liberal caucus to sit as an Independent in Parliament until the start of the provincial leadership campaign.

“Judge me based on what I am and what I’m suggesting,” Rodriguez said.

“I’m passionate about Quebecers and I didn’t like what I was seeing,” he added, on the reason he wants to lead the party. “You have a government that has a deficit of $11 billion, but nothing to show for. And if I ask you, are things going better in terms of education? The answer is no. Health? No. How we manage our natural resources? No.

“And at the same time, we have a government that is very divisive, that likes to divide. So I said, no. This is not good for Quebec. We have to change.”

Other announced candidates include tax lawyer Marc Bélanger.

“People right now, they think that I’m an outsider — I’m not an outsider,” he said at his own press conference. “For the last 25 years, I’ve been involved in politics. I’ve done a campaign and I was a special council for Paul Martin, Michael Ignatieff, Alexandre Cusson.”

Bélanger says one of his focuses would be better managing natural resources, along with international commerce.

“The only candidate that could sit with Donald Trump and have a real conversation, it’s me,” he said. “I have experience in that area. The future of the Quebec: it’s the international commerce. I’m specialized in that area. And I’m someone who acts by conviction.”

Ex-Liberal MP and former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre didn’t have media availability on Monday, but is confirmed to be the fourth candidate.

The PLQ has not had a permanent leader since 2022, since Dominique Anglade resigned following the party’s disappointing results in the last provincial election. LaFontaine MNA Marc Tanguay is acting as interim leader.

“I’m going to have a different narrative than my opponents,” said Milliard. “That’s my selling point.”

He told CityNews that he will be very clear about promoting and defending the French language and protecting the basic rights of the English-speaking community at the same time.

“I come from Lévis,” he said. “My parents don’t speak English, but I’ve been in Montreal for 20 years, I’ve known and I’ve met friends in the English speaking community so they can count on me in that race.”

“We’re going to be inclusive,” he added. “Not divisive.”

In order to make their candidacy official, those running for the Liberal leadership will have to collect 750 signatures from party members, who must come from 70 ridings and 12 different regions.

At least 350 of these 750 signatures must come from “new members” of the PLQ, i.e. people who became members since May 27, 2024.

Candidates will also have to provide a sum of $40,000. In addition, the authorized electoral expenses for each candidate will be a maximum of $400,000.

The Quebec Liberals suffered their worst defeat in more than 60 years in the 2018 election that swept François Legault and his Coalition Avenir Québec into power. They fared even worse in 2022, and now hold just 19 of 125 seats in the provincial legislature as they look to regain ground with francophone voters outside the party’s base in Montreal.

Sylvia Martin-Laforge, head of an anglophone advocacy organization — Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) — says the party should lean on its traditional image of economic stewardship, while casting minority rights as a matter of provincial prosperity.

The election of the PLQ new leader will take place at a congress to be held on June 14.

—With files from The Canadian Press, first published in French and translated by CityNews