Quebec MNA Youri Chassin leaves the CAQ ship

In another blow for the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), Saint-Jérôme MNA Youri Chassin is leaving the party just hours after publishing an open letter criticizing his own government.

Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin announced Thursday he's leaving the Coalition Avenir Quebec government to sit as an Independent, becoming the second member of government to quit in a little more than one week.

Chassin's announcement came hours after he wrote an open letter published in local media criticizing Premier Francois Legault's government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.

In the letter published in Le Journal de Montreal and Le Journal de Quebec, Chassin accused the CAQ of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.

"I was afraid that Quebec would become the republic of the status quo but the CAQ was going to change that, Chassin told reporters Thursday in Quebec City after announcing his departure.

"And, unfortunately, the energy and audacity needed to shake up the status quo seem to have dissipated."

Chassin, who was part of the CAQ's conservative wing, said public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget. An economist by training, Chassin was director of research at the Montreal Economic Institute, a right-leaning think tank, before entering politics.

He said he delivered a similar message to caucus colleagues in Rimouski, Que., last week and met Legault on Wednesday, but didn't hear the response he was hoping for from the premier.