Gathered at candidate Craig Sauvé’s office, the New Democrats launched their campaign for the by-election in LaSalle–Émard–Verdun on Wednesday. Leader Jagmeet Singh was in the city for the occasion.
Left vacant by the departure of Liberal leader David Lametti, made official last February, the riding is in the sights of the New Democratic Party (NDP), which is sparing no expense in winning it. In doing so, even though the party has just launched its campaign, candidate Craig Sauvé has been knocking on doors for several months already.
“It’s going really well,” he assures us. […] What we feel is that people want something else. People like our leader, Jagmeet Singh.” And the Democrats’ “all-in” campaign was clearly felt Wednesday night at the constituency office on Wellington Street. Despite leader Jagmeet Singh’s 40-minute delay – due to bad weather – the activists did not hesitate, welcoming him enthusiastically.
An enthusiasm that also radiated from Craig Sauvé, municipal councillor for the Sud-Ouest borough since 2013, lulled by the repeated chants of his first name. In his desire to do something “next level,” he especially insisted on the importance of tackling head-on the issue of the housing crisis that the residents of LaSalle–Émard–Verdun are suffering from. A crisis, he says, “unacceptable” that it is “urgent to change.”
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Activists greeted the NDP leader with enthusiasm.
Alexandre Boulerice, NDP MP for Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie and deputy leader of the party, was also there. He called for a wind of change in the southwest Montreal riding, praising the merits of Craig Sauvé, whom he has known for many years. [Craig est] “A great activist, someone who has his heart in the right place, who has real values and who works for the world,” he said.
Despite the strong support traditionally enjoyed by the Liberals in LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, Jagmeet Singh felt that the widespread disavowal suffered by Justin Trudeau could work in his party’s favour. “We have an opportunity to send a clear message to the Liberals: you have left people behind,” he thundered, listing one after the other the high cost of living and the unaffordability of housing.
Liberal Bastion
In the most recent vote in the riding, in the 2021 general election, the NDP came in third (19.4%) behind the Bloc Québécois (22.1%) and the Liberal Party (42.9%). Of the parties represented in the House of Commons, the Conservative Party brought up the rear, with 7.5% of the vote.
The Bloc Québécois, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party have not yet designated a candidate for the by-election. According to a report The Press Last week, concern and impatience began to be felt in the Liberal ranks, with the election due to take place in just over two months.
Read the article “Liberal uncertainty in LaSalle–Émard–Verdun”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has until July 30 to announce the date of the by-election in LaSalle–Émard–Verdun. However, it must be held no later than Monday, September 16.