On the occasion of the party’s national congress, taking place this weekend in Saint-Hyacinthe, several Québec Solidaire MPs took the opportunity to endorse a candidacy for the co-leadership race initiated by the departure of Manon Massé, who led this Has held office since 2017.
• Also read: Québec Solidaire: a national council in the race for leadership
Four MNAs have already lined up behind the MNA for Sherbrooke, Christine Labrie, namely Haroun Bouazzi, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, Étienne Grandmont and Alexandre Leduc.
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, Manon Massé and Alejandra Zaga-Mendez said they would remain neutral and not support any candidacy.
Ruba Ghazal, MNA of Mercier, and Émilise Lessard-Therrien, former MNA of Rouyn-Noranda-Témiscamingue, are also in the running for party spokeswoman.
Jean-Lesage MNA Sol Zanetti will announce later today which candidate he is behind.
Party members interviewed by TVA Nouvelles at the convention said they expected a close race.
“It is important that the person listens to the candidates, the party members, and shares a woman. It’s the idea of giving back the word.”
“They complement each other and are different. I think the election will be difficult for the members,” admits one man. It will be an interesting race.”
The real estate crisis is a topic that has received special attention at the congress so far.
The party has also launched a website inviting the public to write directly to Prime Minister François Legault and France’s Housing Minister, Hélène Duranceau, to share their concerns.
This comes as Ms Duranceau made headlines this week by saying she wants to put an end to leases.
Québec Solidaire believes this mechanism allows tenants to control prices to avoid drastic rent increases.
“It was François Legault who put it there,” says spokesman Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. François Legault chose it amid one of the worst housing crises in Quebec history, when Montreal announced a 30% rent increase over the next three years.
“We don’t need someone from real estate speculation, we need a minister who defends the world,” he adds.
Watch the full explanation in the video above.