Marie-Claude Nichols back with Quebec Liberals, supporting Pablo Rodriguez in leadership race

Quebec legislature member, Marie-Claude Nichols, who was expelled from the Liberal caucus following a dispute with leader Dominique Anglade back in 2022, showed up at party headquarters in Montreal on Friday, accompanied by leadership candidate Pablo Rodriguez, whom she is supporting in this race.

“I wasn’t sure I’d return to the party,” she admitted from the outset.

“The trigger was definitely Quebec’s downgrade. Quebec’s downgrade, I had a red light going on in my head. I’m not an economist, I’m a family law lawyer, but I had a red light saying no. No, the government says it’s a party of the economy; that’s not true, we’re the party of the economy. So I said to myself, ‘I have to come home.'”

In 2022, Nichols had expressed her interest in running for the third vice-president of the National Assembly, but Anglade preferred Frantz Benjamin. Disappointed, Nichols then declined other positions, and Anglade expelled her from the caucus.

Nichols has since been representing the Vaudreuil riding as an Independent, a riding she has represented since 2014.

“I’ve always been a Liberal, I’ve always had very strong Liberal values,” she said at a press conference.

Rodriguez said he saw this return as an illustration of a new reality on the ground.

“I met with activists from across the country, and the first thing that has changed—and this is fundamental—is that people are ready to listen to us today. There was a period when Quebecers weren’t listening to us, so it was even impossible to get a message across.”

“Today, the first thing that has changed is that Quebecers are listening to us again, which allows us to discuss with them and present our ideas,” he said.

“Come back!”

Rodriguez has succeeded where interim leader Marc Tanguay had so far failed, having made no secret of his desire to bring Nichols back into the Liberal fold.

His hope now is to repatriate the other Liberal sheep who have strayed elsewhere in the electorate.

“There is a clear message. There is a message of unity, of rallying, and my message to those who have left the party, perhaps temporarily, who were with the CAQ or another party, who stayed at home: come back!” he declared to the applause of a handful of supporters gathered for the occasion.