Quebec Liberals name MNA Marc Tanguay as interim leader

Quebec Liberals name MNA Marc Tanguay as interim leader

In the wake of Dominique Anglade’s abrupt departure as the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party on Monday, there has been much speculation as to who will take the helm in her place. Pontiac MNA André Fortin, who is currently the only Liberal representative outside the Montreal area, hinted at a possible run today as the party gathered to name Marc Tanguay as their interim leader. Fortin won his third term last month with 43.6% of the vote, a 10% drop from the 2018 election.

According to reporting by Philip Authier in the Montreal Gazette, Fortin seemed disinterested in the interim position, but left the door open for a full-fledged leadership run.

“We need someone who can really launch audacious ideas and I don’t think that can work with the job of the interim leader,” Fortin said. “I want to be able to put those ideas forward and see where we can take the Liberal Party.”

The Gazette article notes that Fortin will be touring the province to hear from party members and citizens in various regions. It states that Nelligan MNA Monsef Derraji also dropped hints at a possible run for the top seat.

Fortin bowed out of entering the previous leadership race following the departure of former Premier Philippe Couillard, citing family reasons.

Despite receiving less overall votes than both Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois in the election last month, the Liberals managed to maintain official opposition party status with just 21 seats. On October 27, that number dropped to 20, as Vaudreuil MNA Marie-Claude Nichols was booted from caucus following a spat over shadow cabinet roles. On November 1, she refused to return to the caucus, stating she had no confidence in Anglade, who stepped down a week later.