Prime Minister François Legault must call a byelection in Jean-Talon on Wednesday, sources told Radio-Canada. The Council of Ministers should then adopt the decree confirming the holding of the vote on October 2nd.
When Prime Minister Legault toured this area of Quebec, which includes the district of Sainte-Foy-Sillery-Cap-Rouge, on Tuesday to introduce his candidate Marie-Anik Shoiry, he did not confirm the election date. “I cannot take over the decisions of the Council of Ministers,” he said, but added that everyone was preparing.
Regardless of whether the election campaign is underway or not, the political battle between the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) and the Parti Québécois (PQ) has been in full swing in Jean-Talon since last week.
It was revealed that the PQ candidate in Jean-Talon, Pascal Paradis, had held talks with the CAQ to represent Mr Legault’s party in Charlevoix-Côte-de-Beaupré during the last provincial election.
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Pascal Paradis is executive director and co-founder of Lawyers Without Borders Canada.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Jean-Baptiste Demouy
Although these discussions have been acknowledged on both sides, disagreements remain over their content, particularly with regard to the highway version of the Quebec-Lévis Tunnel, commonly referred to as the 3rd link, an issue that characterized the last campaign in the capital.
They told me: “You know, the third link will not exist, but we will not talk about it during the elections, but after,” argued the PQ candidate.
François Legault denied this accusation. There was never a question of abandoning the third connection before spring 2023, the Prime Minister said on Monday at ICI Première, before insisting on it at a press conference on Tuesday.
I find what has been said in the last few days hurtful. […] I am not a liar, I am not dishonest and I do not accept this type of comment.
“If I make a commitment, it is to keep it,” Mr. Legault said.
I have many faults – that’s what my wife would say – but not the fault of being dishonest, he claimed.
Everyone at the starting line
Since its creation in 1966, the equestrian sport was always represented by the Liberals from Jean-Talon until the resignation of Sébastien Proulx in August 2019.
It was the Caquiste Joëlle Boutin who won the trust of voters in the subsequent by-election in December 2019. She was re-elected in the October 2022 general election. Her hasty departure therefore forces Jean-Talon voters to return to the polls for the third time in less than four years.
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Marie-Anik Shoiry is the daughter of the former mayor of Sillery Paul Shoiry.
Photo: Linkedin
The CAQ is therefore counting on Marie-Anik Shoiry, founder and general director of the Vide ta sacoche organization, to represent its colors this time.
When making the announcement on Tuesday, François Legault emphasized that it was important to him that the election was a woman.
According to the prime minister, the crucial issue will not be Quebec’s sovereignty, which the PQ and its candidate advocate, but rather the cost of living.
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Elise Avard Bernier was officially introduced by the Quebec Liberal Party last week.
Photo: Radio-Canada / SYLVAIN ROY ROUSSEL
For its part, the Quebec Liberal Party chose Élise Avard-Bernier, co-founder of the website Viedeparents.ca.
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Olivier Bolduc was the solidarity candidate for Jean-Talon in 2022.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Sylvain Roy-Roussel
On the Québec Solidaire side, it was Olivier Bolduc, court stenographer, who was chosen at the end of a nomination race.
This process had led to certain tensions, as the president of the QS national coordination committee, Nicolas Châtel-Launay, had encouraged activists in solidarity with Jean-Talon to elect a woman as party representative for this by-election.
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Jesse Robitaille is a PCQ contestant in Jean-Talon.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Pierre-Alexandre Bolduc
Eventually, Jesse Robitaille will try to bring the Quebec Conservative Party into the National Assembly. The chairman, Éric Duhaime, decided not to take part because he is still expecting the resignation of the member for La Peltrie, Éric Caire, following the abandonment of the 3rd Quebec-Lévis connection project.
Climat Québec leader Martine Ouellet also signaled her intention to run.
On August 21, forecasts by polling site Quebec 125 indicated that the CAQ and PQ were tied on voting intentions.
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With information from Sébastien Bovet