Quebec Liberal rank-and-file rankled by government's Uber bill

A bill seeking to crack down on ride-hailing services in Quebec has earned the governing Liberals a rebuke from members of their own party.

Liberal rank-and-filepassed a motion by a wide margin at a party convention on Saturday that calls on the party to embrace the sharing economy, typified by companies such as Uber and Airbnb.

The motion, which was tabled by the party's youth wing, is seen as a shot at a bill the government tabled earlier this week that will force UberX drivers to have a taxi permit.

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Critics of the bill worry it will forceUber, a popular ride-hailing service, to shut down its Quebec operation. They say the proposed regulations areout-of-step with how other jurisdictions allow theserviceto operate.

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Liberal youth wing president,JonathanMarleau, made headlines on Friday when he told reporters the party needed to "move closer toreality" with its policy towardsthe sharing economy.

He said the government'sUberbill failed to reflect "Liberal values" of the free market.

Marleau emerged somewhat chastened from a Saturday morning meeting with Premier Philippe Couillard and Transport Minister Jacques Daoust.

"I might have mistakenly opened a door,"Marleausaid after the meeting. "I think the final version of the law will reflect Liberal values 100 per cent."

But even withMarleaustriking a more even-handed tone, the motion on the sharing economy still passed.

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Heading into the convention another,smaller group of Liberals had threatened to try to unseatDaoustover their unhappiness with theUberbill.

"It was supported by [thePartiQubcois']MartineOuellet, [taxi industry spokesperson]GuyChevretteand [QubecSolidaire's]AmirKhadir," said JonathanHamel, a formerRobervalriding president who speaks for thepro-Ubergroup.

"That says a lot about the bill."

Like the pre-meetingMarleau,Hamelalso believes the bill fails to adhere the party's free market principles by favouringthe taxi industry overUberXdrivers, who are considered independent contractors.

Though Hamel and Marleau canbe counted among the party'syounger members, others who supported the sharing-economy motion denied a generational divide was at play.

"The party has taken a position that is opposed to its own principles," said Casper Bloom, a long-time Quebec Liberal member currently serving as the party's anglophone vice-president.

"That's what bothers me. It's not part of the principles of the Liberal Party to be against the opening of competition to others and other innovative and technological advances."

But though the resolution passed, it looks unlikely to have much impact on the current version of the bill.

"I'm not returning to the drawing board," Daousttold reporters. "It's been tabled. There will be hearings. There will be a clause-by-clause study of the bill over the coming weeks."

But the government'sUberbill is not the only position that has rankled some rank-and-file.

Members will also debatea resolution calling for the government to abandon its desire to create a long-gun registry.

Another motion calls onthe premier to give up some of his power to appoint candidates.

Couillardis scheduled to close the convention with a speech on Sunday.