Since the Parti Québécois victory in Jean-Talon, an image has stuck in my mind.
This image is that of Pascal Bérubé, moved to tears, his hands in prayer, and I imagine him pleading that this is not a dream.
There was something moving about this picture.
He has witnessed all the PQ’s setbacks for a decade and sees his party reborn from the ashes.
This victory is initially described as that of leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and as a judgment against the Legault government for lack of inconsistency and arrogance.
Either.
But aren’t we leaving out a main character in this PQ fairy tale? I’m talking about Pascal Bérubé, the tireless MP for Matane.
The resilient one
Trace back. Between 2018 and 2022 everyone left the PQ ship.
Pascal Bérubé decided to persevere, no matter the cost.
It was said that it was the end of history and the last PQ. That is, the last of the Mohicans.
Bérubé could well have deserted.
Like many of his colleagues who logically decided to give up or jump the fence to become ministers or political staffers at the CAQ.
It is no secret that Pascal Bérubé could have become CAQ minister.
The CAQ and Prime Minister Legault had to make all sorts of nice promises to get him to join the government.
The CAQ wanted to liquidate what was left of the PQ during its first mandate.
We told ourselves that if even the indomitable Bérubé left the ship, it would probably be the end.
Since the Matanese are more likely to be Berubists than PQists, the PQ would probably have been removed from the electoral map.
However, he remained incorruptible in his convictions, which he still represents today with his usual aplomb.
Today, Pascal Bérubé embodies a form of political nobility. And his courageous consistency is one of the reasons for the PQ renaissance.
PLQ, QS
Now it is the turn of the other parties, to a lesser extent the PLQ and the QS, to take a walk in the desert.
Bérubé can serve as a role model for them. Staying true to your beliefs can be difficult in the short term, but it always pays off in the long run.
