“What a week! What a month!” whispered Pascal Paradis, almost at the end of one of the most incredible weeks that Quebec politics has experienced in a long time.
A few days after his stunning triumph last Monday, Le Soleil met with the newly elected member of the Parti Québécois (PQ) riding Jean-Talon in Quebec.
With 44% of votes cast for him, he more than doubled the votes of his closest rival and representative of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government.
Sitting at the picnic tables set up near Door 6 of the Quebec National Assembly building, the entrance most frequently used by those who work in the parliament building, Mr. Paradis reflects on the last few weeks.
The victory, but also the election campaign that preceded it.
“I worked from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and midnight for 35 consecutive days. Really,” notes the one who looks like a cross between Clark Kent, Superman’s bespectacled double, and Rivers Cuomo, while the singer of the rock group Weezer has short hair and no beard.
A representative who has just left parliament interrupts the conversation.
Jean-François Simard, elected CAQ member for Montmorency, another Quebec riding, approaches us and shakes his hand.
“Hello, my Pascal! Congratulations my darling! » says Mr. Simard, before he just as quickly heads towards the exit of the security cabin.
The anecdote reveals that the gentleman is the member for Montmorency. But even more important is the fact that the newly elected Paradis is not arriving in completely unfamiliar territory, Parliament Hill.
“We created the student parliament together,” says the new PQ MP.
During his six years in the Quebec Student Parliament in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Mr. Paradis held several positions in student government. Including the President of the Assembly and even the Prime Minister.
His swearing-in and his first appearance at the Salon Bleu in around ten days will therefore not be a real first in his life.
A remarkable entry
The 52-year-old lawyer and father of two children aged 13 and 11 has just had a completely crazy week. But above all, a crazy month, even a month and a half.
After stepping down from his position as director general of Lawyers Without Borders Canada, which he founded and led for 20 years, Mr. Paradis made a sensational entry into politics.
Recall his confrontation with the high-ranking authorities of the CAQ. Last year, they discussed making him a leading candidate in the Quebec general election.
He claims to have rejected this on the grounds, among other things, that he was against the project of a motorway tunnel under the river.
But above all from his understanding that the leadership of the ruling party already intended to abandon the project at that time, which they did the following April. Even if the CAQ and François Legault campaigned for the construction of the tunnel in 2022.
Now the project is being restarted against Mr Paradis due to the electoral thaw.
Buy back the Quebec Bridge
“Yes, there are a few people in Jean-Talon who are in favor of a third connection. That’s true, he admitted. But many people are against a motorway connection. »
“Above all, it was a message about how to do politics, whether to respect your commitments or not. That was the big message! There we are told that the message is to bring the third motorway connection back on the table? I can tell you that I didn’t hear that on the streets of Sainte-Foy and Sillery. »
– Pascal Paradis, who says he “went door to door for hours”
Regarding the PQ proposal for a third connection, which would allow a city train to pass, which was put forward during the election campaign last year, Mr Paradis noted that it is still on the table.
But he sees it as “a project presented in response to that presented to the government” and believes that, a year later, certain questions need to be asked before excavation can begin.
The PQ would first like to purchase the Quebec Bridge from the Canadian National (CN) railway company. Then create a dynamic seventh lane on the Pierre Laporte Bridge. This would already lead to a reduction in traffic between the two banks.
“After that, a third public transport connection is under discussion,” says Paradis.
Jean-Talon’s new MP has lived in Quebec all his life, except for the two years he studied at the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science, and has lived in several neighborhoods over the years. It is now based in Sillery.
His mother was a primary school teacher. His father worked in the public sector and in the private sector.
When he was young, he remembers the Parti Québécois meetings where his parents were active. The era of René Lévesque.
He says he is a staunch sovereigntist and has always voted for PQ. “Except once,” he finally lets go. But he refuses to say when it happened.
He has been traveling the planet with Lawyers Without Borders Canada for 25 years. The organization he founded now employs 150 people in six offices around the world.
This outside perspective only strengthened his belief in independence, he assures.
“Quebec has a truly unique voice in the world. Not better, not worse, but truly a unique voice. We are part of the diversity! »
“Our young people are very open-minded about this whole question of wanting to see the world and understand its diversity. Well, we are part of the diversity! We have something beautiful to contribute to our historical trajectory as French-speaking people of America and North America. We have everything we need in terms of territory, natural resources, but above all governmental and human capacity. »
— Pascal Paradis, Quebec MP, elected by Jean-Talon
However, without deciding on the best time to hold a third referendum, “we must stop being afraid to ask the question about the future of Quebec,” he said. “It was relevant yesterday, it is relevant today and it is relevant tomorrow. »
His enthusiasm is already leading him to seek a return to power for the PQ in 2026.
“We will win the next general election. “The idea is to regain power and that starts with Jean-Talon,” he said, emphasizing that with this statement he was fully aware of the task to be accomplished by then.
Snowden’s guardian angel
The last two MPs elected to Quebec’s National Assembly after two by-elections in 2023 are two lawyers specializing in immigration.
Guillaume Cliche-Rivard won the Montreal race of Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne with Québec Solidaire last March.
They even worked together to help the “guardian angels” who harbored computer scientist and whistleblower Edward Snowden in Hong Kong escape to Canada in 2019.
“I find it very interesting that two people are elected to the National Assembly who really understand the realities of immigration and refugee status applicants,” acknowledges Mr. Paradis.
The Minister of Immigration, Frenchization and Integration, Christine Fréchette, should pay more attention. Especially while planning immigration to Quebec for the next four years.
“There may be differences of opinion on certain issues, but the idea is to highlight common points so that we can make the right decisions. This is really an extremely important topic. It is true that this is a fundamental debate for the future of Quebec,” stressed the new member of the third opposition group.
So Mr. Paradis enters the Volkshaus “with so many stories that I have heard in the last month.” So many dreams, so many problems, challenges, worries that people have confided in me.”
“Once you decide to go there, a few people tell you that you’re going to experience something unique. They sort of intellectualize it. But you realize that it is really something fantastic, unique! People really open their doors to you. People talk to you about themselves. They tell you their story, their life. You hear stories of great sadness, difficult stories, even extraordinary stories,” he concludes.