Third link: Liberal MP breaks party line

After the dissensions around the financing of religious schools, it is the turn of the third link to bring out the ranks of a liberal MP.

Asked whether she was in favor of the highway project between Quebec and Lévis, the member for Chomedey, Sona Lakhoyan Olivier, responded unequivocally: Absolutely!

However, the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) is officially opposed to the project and interim leader Marc Tanguay reiterated this Saturday morning during the party’s congress in Lévis.

We, at PLQas I speak to you, we are against the third motorway link.

On Friday, Mr. Tanguay evoked la science and the fight against climate change as reasons justifying this position.

Sona Lakhoyan Olivier supports leadership candidate Frédéric Beauchemin – also a caucus MP – who said earlier this week that he was in favor of a third link in the name of the economic development for future generations.

I am in favor of all the decisions of my colleague Fred, added Ms. Lakhoyan Olivier.

Mr. Beauchemin recognized that being both elected and candidate placed him in a delicate position.

A few weeks ago, the about-face of the PLQ on funding religious schools – the party now opposes it – has caused dissension within the caucus. Three deputies, including Mr. Beauchemin, broke the line. A situation which had provoked the irritation of the liberal leader, who had suggested that he was going to tighten the screws on dissident elected officials.

Regarding the release of Sona Lakhoyan Olivier, Marc Tanguay takes another approach.

In a leadership race context, it is important to have room for maneuver.

Among the other candidates for leadership, tax lawyer Marc Bélanger and former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre are also in favor of the project. Former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez wants a third underground link, but with a tram.

The old CEO of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Quebec, Charles Milliard remains evasive on the subject. He says he wants propose a global mobility plan for Eastern Quebec.

Mr. Milliard took advantage of Saturday at the congress to announce that he intended to be a candidate in the riding of Orford, in Estrie, during the 2026 elections. The county is currently held by the CAQ leader Gilles Bélanger.

Young liberals retain their influence

Furthermore, young liberals will continue to weigh heavily in the choice of the next leader of the political party. A proposal aimed at reducing their influence in the race was defeated in Congress on Friday.

Young members of the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) account for 33% of the votes in the leadership. The liberal association of Montarville proposed to change this weighting so that it is one member, one vote, evoking a systematic discrimination based on age.

Liberal activists meeting in congress defeated this proposal Friday evening. All the aspiring leaders voted to continue to reserve a third of the votes for 16-25 year olds.

The youth commission of PLQ mobilized to counter this resolution and to propose its own, which was also adopted on Friday.

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Before the youth wing’s resolution was passed, chieftaincy rules ensured that each of the 125 constituencies were worth 2,000 points for a total of 250,000. These points would have been distributed to candidates as a percentage of votes for members 26 years and over. To this would have been added 125,000 points for members aged 25 and under.

However, the adopted proposal redistributes the 125,000 points granted to young members in each constituency, so that a county will have 2000 points for its members aged over 25 and over and 1000 points for those aged 25 and under.

While some argue that the status quo means that young people have a disproportionate weight in the leadership, others argue that this encourages candidates to recruit more members aged 16-25.

The liberals are meeting in congress until Sunday. They will notably debate the idea of ​​a constitution for Quebec and an education reform.