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QUEBEC — Liberal leadership candidate Frédéric Beauchemin wants the party to revisit it new policy on ending public funding for religious schools, taking into account the views of the party membership.
Saying he is respecting the rules of caucus solidarity as the MNA for the riding of Marguerite-Bourgeoys, Beauchemin Friday nevertheless took to social media and answered questions from reporters on the party’s stunning political flipflop on a long-standing policy and decision to side with the Parti Québécois on the issue.
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Beauchemin said in his opinion the new policy, adopted on the fly this week by the Liberal caucus, runs contrary to Liberal values. At the very least, Liberal MNAs should have been allowed a free vote on the issue which has created a malaise in the party.
“As a candidate that’s what I would like to have done,” Beauchemin told reporters Friday when asked if the decision needs to be re-visited. “The militants have a voice and they should be allowed to express it.
“From my perspective, such a deep and profound change into the Liberal culture for the last 60 years should had consultation with the membership. We need to listen to the membership.
“If we actually want Quebecers to listen to us a party, we first have to listen to our own members.”
Another leadership candidate, Denis Coderre, also complained about the policy shift, arguing the membership should have been consulted.
On Thursday, in the crunch of a National Assembly vote, Beauchemin was forced to follow the Liberal caucus line and vote in favour of the policy shift he disagreed with. Other Liberal MNAs with the same reservations about the policy were obliged to do the same thing.
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