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Don't get in the way of our official status, PQ warns Liberals

Pascal Bérubé invites counterpart Dominique Anglade to engage in some "introspection, analysis and useful humility."

Author of the article:

La Presse Canadienne

La Presse Canadienne

Frédéric Lacroix-Couture

"We cannot accept that a party that won less votes than we did consider itself legitimate and prevent us from representing more votes than them," says PQ Leader Pascal Bérubé said.
"We cannot accept that a party that won less votes than we did consider itself legitimate and prevent us from representing more votes than them," says PQ Leader Pascal Bérubé said. Photo by Jacques Boissinot /THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Parti Québécois on Friday called on Quebec Liberal Leader Dominque Anglade not to oppose the granting of official party status for the PQ in the National Assembly even though the party has failed to meet the necessary criteria.

At a press conference in Montreal, Pascal Bérubé, one of three PQ candidates to win election on Monday, deplored Anglade’s apparent intention not to agree to official recognition, which would allow the PQ speaking time in the legislature and a budget for research.

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Bérubé said he had received information the Liberals will also oppose official party status for Québec solidaire in order not to give that party greater visibility. He warned that the work of the National Assembly will suffer if the Liberals maintain their hard line.

To be granted official party status, a party must elect 12 MNAs (about 10 per cent of the National Assembly’s 125 seats) or win at least 20 per cent of the popular vote.

Québec solidaire won 11 seats with 15.4 per cent of the vote, while the PQ’s three seats were won with 14.6 per cent of the vote.

While the Quebec Liberals won only 14.3 per cent of the popular vote, that support translated into 21 seats, allowing it official party status.

“Given these results we cannot accept that a party that won less votes than we did consider itself legitimate and prevent us from representing more votes than them,” Bérubé said.

The PQ MNA invited Anglade to engage in some “introspection, analysis and useful humility” as well as examine her sense of duty.

This article was produced with financial support from the Meta and Canadian Press News Scholarships.