SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU — Parti Québécois MNAs asked Thursday that voters from the riding of Richelieu should rally together to send a clear message to Premier Philippe Couillard at the next by-election.
“It’s important that the people of Richelieu have the chance to say to Mr. Couillard, ‘Stop that,'” said Martine Ouellet.
“Premier Couillard just decided to go back on what he said earlier regarding the charter, I mean those issues should be raised,” Pierre Karl Péladeau added.
And they will be.
READ MORE: Quebec needs Values Charter: poll
The PQ is putting secularism at the top of its priority list this winter, leaning on favourable public opinion polls to pressure the Premier into adopting a Values Charter.
Couillard’s links to Saudi Arabia
PQ party members are suggesting that Premier Couillard is confused because of the work he did in Saudi Arabia from 1992 to 1996.
“He is clearly imbued with Saudi Arabian values.”
“The Premier was a consultant in Saudi Arabia,” PQ interim leader Stéphane Bédard told a news conference in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
“We’re asking him not to import this reality to Quebec.”
And the punches kept coming.
“Had we had this attitude of appeasement toward South Africa and apartheid, I’m not sure we would have brought to an end apartheid in South Africa,” said Bernard Drainville.
“I feel that the Premier is on another planet,” said Jean-François Lisée.
MNAs went further Thursday, psychoanalyzing the Premier.
“Looked at all his speeches,” noted Lisée.
“He doesn’t even want to name radical Islam as the problem.”
“It probably stems from a goodwill reflex of not wanting to stigmatize Muslims, but not naming the problem is never part of the solution.”
PQ MNAs said they are waiting to see whether Premier Couillard will have the guts to ask Saudi Prince Turki Al Faisal, a member of the House of Saud, to free blogger Raif Badawi, whose wife, Ensaf Haidar, and their children, live in Sherbrooke, Que.
READ MORE: Saudi Arabia postpones second flogging of imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi
The two statesmen will be present at the same event Friday, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Quebec Premier responds
In Davos, the Premier told The Canadian Press that Bédard’s comments bordered on defamation, however, he said he does not intend to sue.
“When you attack a person, and not his ideas, it’s a sign of weakness and a lack of judgement,” noted Harold Fortin, a spokesperson from Premier Couillard’s office.
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