(Saint-Hyacinthe) Manon Massé made her final speech as Québec Solidaire’s co-speaker in the National Council, but stressed that she would remain in office as an MP. “The community organizer” asserts that she still has “the flame that burns” to fight for the social struggles that have always inspired her.
Posted at 3:01pm.
“There is a human crisis on the streets of my constituency every day. Every day I meet people who have sorrow in their eyes because they don’t have a home, because they are unable to support themselves, because the drug junk is so exhausted that they discard it altogether, because they are used by the government were left in the lurch,” Ms. Massé opened her speech to the party delegates who met at the National Council in Saint-Hyacinthe.
The member for Sainte-Marie-Saint-Jacques represents the Centre-Sud sector in Montreal. She wonders when “the rich will realize it’s not good for them to leave people on the streets.”
“The world is afraid to come to my country. “Once the rich realize it, maybe wealth redistribution won’t worry them anymore,” she said. She wants to form a united front to “drive human misery out of our neighborhoods, our reservations, our communities, our villages.” “That’s what I want to address,” she said.
The flame
She’s stepping down as a co-spokesperson this fall, saying she’ll have more time and energy to “bring love” to these people. Her desire to stay in politics stems in part from the struggles she wants to fight against the decisions of the Avenir Québec coalition, particularly on housing. “How come it’s so easy to make so much money on a flip in Quebec? How come we allowed this? I don’t accept that. […] Now is the time to write a law that protects the world,” she said.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Manon Massé is a founding member of Québec Solidaire and was first elected in 2014.
That’s why Quebec needs us. That’s why the flame still burns in me.
Manon Mass
Ms. Massé is a founding member of Québec Solidaire and was first elected in 2014. She had no idea at the time that she would be thrust into the limelight by succeeding Françoise David. Her colleague Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois greeted her on stage according to a famous formula by Ms. Massé. “Let’s say hello to the most thawed pogo in the box,” he said.
successor
“When I came to this adventure, I didn’t think I would be a co-spokesperson. It was for Francoise [David] that, not for me. […] Look at me, a community organizer. It would never have occurred to me to hold three Heads of State and Government debates, including one in English,” Ms Massé said.
If she’s passing the torch, it’s also because she was convinced there was a successor, particularly the three up-and-coming co-speakers Ruba Ghazal, Christine Labrie and Émilise Lessard-Therrien.
“I’m giving up my position as speaker because I’m ready. And I’m ready because I know my party is ready,” Ms. Massé said. It invites the “sowers of change,” the “brewers of ideas,” and “people who can’t take more of what is happening” to use this race to get “on board” with Quebec solidarity.
The identity of Sainte-Marie-Saint-Jacques’ replacement as co-speaker will be announced next November following a vote at the party’s National Council in Gatineau.