Legault says he has no regrets over Trudeau warning

Told Quebecers Liberal agenda `dangerous'

OTTAWA • One day after Canadians elected a new minority Liberal government, Quebec Premier François Legault says he does not regret telling Quebecers that Justin Trudeau's platform was “dangerous” for the province and that he would do it again if necessary.

But the popular premier and leader of the CAQ's decision to jump headfirst into the federal election two weeks ago by tacitly endorsing a Conservative minority government over the Liberals, NDP and Greens — and subsequent lack of remorse — is rubbing many federal Liberals the wrong way.

Multiple Liberal staffers, who were granted anonymity to be able to speak freely about intergovernmental affairs, say Legault's interference was “his biggest political mistake” to date and is likely to affect their willingness to collaborate with their provincial counterparts on files that are considered uniquely beneficial to the province's reigning party.

“Trudeau obviously won't punish Quebec because of Legault,” one staffer explained. “But when there are files that are only beneficial to them (the CAQ), that's when they might have less of our ear,” they added.

Tuesday, Legault organized a brief press conference during which he congratulated all federal candidates and new MPs, and particularly Justin Trudeau for his third term as prime minister. He also revealed that the two had spoken that morning.

“Of course, we have our disagreements, but we both said that we'd be able to work together,” Legault began, before immediately detailing one of those disputes.

“I reminded him that I have real trouble with national standards in longterm care homes. He was not surprised, because I've already told him often. But for the good of all Quebecers, in the interest of all Quebecers, we are going to work together and try to move files forward.”

He also said that this election demonstrated that Quebec was “inevitable” for any federal party hoping to win a majority.

But reporters mostly pressed the premier on comments he made repeatedly in the last two weeks of the campaign about how he considered the Liberals' “centralizing” platform as “dangerous” for the province's autonomy and extolled Quebec nationalists to cast their vote elsewhere.

“I do not regret it at all,” Legault said. “Yes, absolutely,” he then added when asked if he would do it again in hindsight. “I defended Quebec's autonomy and I will always defend Quebec's autonomy.”

In the final days of the campaign as well as on election day, many re-elected Liberal MPs reiterated their surprise and dismay at Legault's intrusion into the federal campaign and plea to Quebecers to turn their back on Justin Trudeau's candidates.

“People don't like to be told what to think and how to vote,” Liberal Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters earlier this month.

“I come from generations of women who fought to get the right to vote and, during the Quiet Revolution, to get the right to think and in that sense, we don't like to be told by anybody how to behave in this important election.”

That comment clearly irked Legault, who singled out Joly's reaction specifically on Tuesday.

“Minister Joly stands by her comments made about Premier Legault's interference in the federal election,” Joly's director of communications Maéva Proteau said in a statement.

“That being said, we look forward to continuing our work with the provincial government, for the benefit of all Quebecers. There is much to achieve still, particularly with respect to creating 37,000 new places in daycare centres.”

On election night Monday, Trudeau's Quebec Lieutenant Pablo Rodriguez said he was “surprised” and “disappointed” by Legault's campaign comments but adding that he had a “good relationship” with his provincial counterparts and he expected that to continue.

Liberal sources agreed with that statement on Tuesday. “Ministers don't have a choice but to collaborate with Legault,” one noted.

“But eventually, the CAQ is going to have to realize that they don't have the monopoly over Quebec. Quebec is not the CAQ and the CAQ is not Quebec.”

Within the provincial government, one source that is often involved in dealings with the Trudeau government said they don't believe Legault's comments will change much in his relationship with Trudeau.

“It's uncomfortable for Legault (now), but what is Trudeau going to do,” they asked. “I really don't get the impression that this is catastrophic ... but if Trudeau had won a majority government, then it would be a whole other ball game.”

Asked if he expected the Liberals to exact “revenge” on him for publicly supporting another party, Legault retorted that Trudeau had already supported Philippe Couillard's Quebec Liberal Party during the 2014 provincial election. At the time, the CAQ was the second opposition party.

“If Mr. Trudeau wants to defend his intrusion into provincial jurisdictions ... well, I think I have the support of the majority of Quebecers,” Legault added.