Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois looked like a satisfied man at the end of the Quebec Solidarity National Council, which met last weekend at Ahuntsic College. To say that his party came out of it “strengthened” was a bit of an exaggeration, but the great release that the disappointing results of the October 3 election could have led to fear did not happen.
There was not the slightest debate on the “refocusing” of the solidarity discourse to which the electoral campaign gave rise. We even made sure to allow greater flexibility in adapting the platform to the prevailing situation. Admittedly, the official program remains, but we can continue to gradually distance ourselves from it.
It was less the dip in QS votes than the gender disparity within the parliamentary wing that seemed to grieve delegates the most. When we say that feminism is one of its fundamental values, it is far from being a figure of speech.
The independence of Quebec is another one that is said to want to “reaffirm”, but the proposal which deplored its absence in the electoral speech of QS was rejected. Obviously, it will not be talked about more during the campaign for the March 13 by-election.
A delegate deplored that QS abandons this ground to the PQ, but the allergy to anything that might resemble identity nationalism remains as strong as ever. In Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne, the main theme will be the defense of diversity, which its candidate, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, a lawyer specializing in immigration law, embodies perfectly.
We are not on the eve of a rapprochement with the PQ. If need be, Paul St-Pierre-Plamondon’s clumsy proposal to close Roxham Road had the effect of rekindling mistrust.
The big story of the weekend, however, was the “regional divide” that the October 3 election has aggravated. The numbers speak for themselves: of the 47 constituencies where QS lost 1% or more of its vote compared to 2018, 34 are determined to be rural.
The heartfelt tribute that the delegates paid to the former MP for Rouyn-Noranda–Témiscamingue, Émilise Lessard-Therrien, was intended to highlight the qualities of the heart and the young woman’s commitment to her constituents, but the loss of this constituency also marked the spirits. “Émilise was our regional reflex, we shouldn’t lose it,” said Mercier MP Ruba Ghazal.
It is clear that QS’s ability to expand in Montreal has limits and that it will not take power if it does not manage to put down roots in the regions, just like in the suburbs, which seem just as refractory. to the solidarity discourse and currently constitute a CAQ monopoly.
Admittedly, the “orange taxes” have been particularly badly perceived in the region, but the problem is much deeper and a new tour of the “Big ears” will not be enough to solve it. Not only do voters shun QS, but activists in the regions also feel a sense of alienation.
“We are told: QS is a party from Montreal,” said one delegate, underlining the irony of focusing on the regions in a meeting that was taking place in… Montreal.
Regions often look like a desert for QS. An activist from the Côte-Nord, who had come to the National Council as an observer, thus had to request special permission to speak because there is no QS association in the county of René- Levesque.
In a workshop, several expressed their frustration, denouncing an “internal culture” which discredits them and the concentration of human resources in the metropolis. They seemed to feel like strangers in their own party. “We want to decentralize the government, but we are not doing it for the party,” said one of them.
There is no body within QS to echo the concerns of the regions, lamented another. “The national does not encourage us to found a regional or local association,” she added. It becomes a kind of vicious circle. Urban associations, where militancy is most developed, are favoured, which further accentuates the imbalance.
During the electoral campaign, the militants had the impression of being watched from above. “When we come to the elections, we are a little ignored. The parliamentary wing, the communications team know everything”.
Again, the problem is likely to get worse. A political party naturally tends to concentrate its efforts and resources in the constituencies where its chances of victory are the best. A victory in Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne would not change things.