Quebec Liberals' interim leader backpedals on offer to Marie-Claude Nichols

The Quebec Liberal Party interim leader publicly apologized Tuesday after withdrawing an offer made to an ousted former member of the party.

Marc Tanguay had offered Marie-Claude Nichols the position of deputy speaker, in exchange for her rejoining the fold.

"I would have really hoped for it to work out, precisely for the sake of cohesion," Tanguay said at a news conference. "I had the chance to tell Marie-Claude personally that I regret the way things happened, and I apologized on a personal level and as the leader of the political party."

Nichols, the MNA for Vaudreuil, was kicked out of caucs in October after she turned down the role of transport critic. Nichols had sought the deputy speaker position, but Dominique Anglade, who led the party through the last election, had set her sights on Viau MNA Frantz Benjamin for the role.

Anglade stepped down as the leader of the party last week, with Tanguay taking over the role on an interim basis.

Tanguay had suggested Benjamin and Nichols share the role, each taking up the mantle for two years. But he withdrew the offer to avoid the possibility of Benjamin leaving the party if he didn't get the job for his entire mandate, according to The Canadian Press.

Tanguay said in a news release sent Monday evening that, after consulting with members of the caucus, the offer was "no longer viable and would not promote cohesion of the Liberal team."

Benjamin furious over perceived snub

Tanguay added that the door was still open to Nichols if she would like to return.

"It is high time that the Liberal caucus devotes itself to the task of preparing for the imminent return to the Assembly and defending the interests of all Quebecers," he said.

Frantz Benjamin, the original nominee for the deputy speaker position, said he was furious and refused to accept the Liberals giving him the short end of the stick, the Canadian Press reported.

According to someone close to Benjamin, the Liberal MNA would "never accept any form of humiliation."

"He stands for something bigger than a position or a bonus at the National Assembly," the source added.

At the news conference, Tanguay refused to provide details about his conversations with Nichols and Benjamin, saying the issue surrounding the deputy speaker position is "behind us." 

"Frantz Benjamin is a member of the team and he's ready to work with all his colleagues," he said.