The youth wing of the Parti Québecois voted against the idea of banning religious symbols for public sector employees after a heated debate during its caucus in Victoriaville.

The proposal, which revived some of the controversial aspects of the former PQ government under Pauline Marois, was defeated with only about 15 party members voting in favour.

During the debate, some members criticized their colleagues for adopting the rhetoric of racists, while others stressed the need for secularism.

The proposal revived the "charter of values" put forward by the Marois government in 2013. It sought to ban the wearing of religious symbols, such as Muslim headscarves, Jewish kippahs, and large crucifixes for all public employees during work hours.

The divisive charter was seen by opponents as targeting Muslim women. It was ultimately defeated when the PQ lost the provincial election in 2014.

The proposal to revive the charter led to intense exchanges over religious accommodation in the National Assembly. The PQ, Coalition Avenir Québec et Québec Solidaire are asking the Couillard government to ban the wearing of religious symbols only for public servants in positions of authority.

Premier Philippe Couillard seized on the controversy to claim that there's no consensus in the matter among the opposition.

The PQ youth wing made other proposals Sunday morning, including a mechanism to remove MNAs and elected municipal officials who have been charged with a criminal offense.