Quebec Liberals huddle after party unrest

Members of the Quebec Liberal caucus arrived at a specialmeeting on Monday evening, calling it a "bonding session" despite rumours of internal discord.

The LiberalMNAsgatheredat an exclusive hotel just outside Quebec City. The political staff of the premier, ministers and backbencherswere not invited.

Such meetings among caucus members are by themselves not out of ordinary, but are normally held ahead of a legislative session rarelyin the middle of one.

"It's a friendly meeting," saidRichardMerlini, theMNA for LaLa Prairie."[It is] achance ... to talk among us."

Ides of May?

CoalitionAvenirQubechad speculated last week that there was a movement afoot within the caucusto challenge Premier PhilippeCouillard's leadership.

That suggestion was rejected out-of-hand by the premier over the weekend.

Liberal MNAssought to downplay any suggestion of internal unrest as theyarrived at the meeting.

However,after a difficult fewweeks for the government, many alsoacknowledgedthey could use the chance to recalibrateahead of what promises to be an intense two weeks of legislative activity.

Among the key items on the government's legislative agenda is passing its controversial reforms to provincial taxi laws, the so-called Uber bill.

The bill, which proposes strict limits on how ride-hailingservices operate in Quebec, upset party members.

They passed a motion at a recent convention calling on the government to be more open to the sharing economy.

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'Room for improvement'

"There's always room for improvement and I think that's what we'regoingto be talking about," said deputy house leaderGerrySklavounos.

"We want to take the opportunity to do it in a relaxed setting."

MNAPatrickHuotdescribed it as a"bonding session."

"We have questions to askourselves about how better we cancommunicate ourmessage," he said.

Besides Uber, the government is also dealing with allegations it dragged its feet on an inquiry into irregularities in the Transport Department.

And on Thursday, the auditor general will release the results of his investigation into former cabinet minister Sam Hamad'sdealings with a company linked to a Liberal fundraiser now facing criminal charges.

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