Next CAQ leader would vote ‘Yes’ in third referendum, believes Marc Tanguay

Quebec Liberal interim leader Marc Tanguay says he believes the next leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) would support the province separating from Canada if a third referendum on sovereignty were held.

“Mr. Legault, Ms. Fréchette and Mr. Drainville are sovereigntists. They were members of the Parti Québécois and they would vote Yes in a referendum,” Tanguay said Thursday morning during a news conference at the National Assembly.

Premier François Legault announced his resignation two weeks ago, sparking an almost immediate leadership race.

So far, the two candidates in the running are Christine Fréchette and Bernard Drainville, both former PQ members who joined the CAQ.

Meanwhile, the PQ leads in voting intentions and its leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, has said he would hold a referendum during his first mandate, even if the Yes option does not command a majority of Quebecers.

Over the weekend, at his party’s convention, St-Pierre Plamondon claimed that the campaign for Quebec independence had been triggered by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech on the Plains of Abraham.

“All Paul St-Pierre Plamondon wants is to build on François Legault’s eight years. He will play up identity politics. He will clearly say that English is a threat, that immigration is also a threat. He will use that to push his agenda further. The only thing that differentiates the CAQ from the PQ is a date for a referendum,” Tanguay said.

“We are the only party on Quebec’s political landscape that can clearly say: ‘We are federalists because we want to promote Quebec nationalism within the Canadian Federation in a way that fosters growth,’” he added.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews