Mercier Solidarity MNA Ruba Ghazal starts the race for the position of co-spokesperson for Québec Solidaire. This is the first official candidacy.
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“I’ve been a founding member of Québec Solidaire since 2006 and I want to push the party’s social project even further,” she said in an interview with LCN.
The campaign will run for 13 weeks and the speakers will be elected at the QS Congress at the end of November.
Focus on language and independence
Québec Solidaire has carried the independence project since its inception and is part of the party’s DNA, according to Ms. Ghaza.
“We talk about independence within Quebec Solidaire, we are several MPs for it, but not enough is heard,” explains the politician. “It’s a social cohesion project to bring all Quebecers together in a common project.”
In its manifesto, Québec Solidaire emphasized the importance of affirming the use of the French language while promoting Québec’s diversity.
Ms Ghazal believes this fight must continue, but not at the expense of immigrant inclusion.
“There were many positive elements in Bill 96, but there was one very problematic element in this project,” says Ms Ghazal. “It is not true that immigrants can speak French six months after arriving in Quebec.”
Break into more regions of Quebec
Ms Ghaza hopes for a much wider reach than the party currently has.
In the 2022 provincial election, the party’s goal was to win mostly outside of Montreal, but Quebec Solidaire had only won one more MP in the National Assembly.
In addition, the party suffered a great loss with the defeat in Abitibi of Émilise Lessard-Therrien, the outgoing deputy for Rouyn-Noranda-Témiscamingue.
Ms. Ghaza now wants to expand the party’s presence across the province.
“I have suggestions so that our members’ voices are heard in the regions and that they have seats where decisions are made,” she explains.