In substance as in form, the COVID-19 pandemic has invited itself into the partial electoral campaign of the riding of Marie-Victorin, which will know its next deputy on Monday.
Candidates in isolation, masked door-to-door, virtual debates: the candidates of the various political parties see it as a foretaste of the general campaign planned for the fall.
Pierre Nantel has political experience behind the tie. Before joining the Parti Québécois last November, the adopted Longueuil resident took part in three federal election campaigns, and won two of them.
But he has never experienced a race like the one that has been taking place for almost a month in the riding of Marie-Victorin. ” Oh my god ! It has changed enormously, ”says the PQ candidate on the phone.
“It’s still very surprising not to be able to shake hands, for example. It is important in politics,” he said.
Candidates participating in Quebec’s first by-election in more than two years have had the full pandemic experience since March 9. The candidate of Quebec solidaire, Shophika Vaithyanathasarma, even more.
The didactics student tested positive for COVID-19 on April 2. Result of the races: at least five days of isolation. “It’s clear that there are fewer beautiful photos, but there is still a way to get in touch with voters,” said the candidate in a telephone interview with The duty.
On his Twitter account since Saturday, photos of mosaics Zoom accumulate. Symptoms oblige, it is necessary to campaign differently, agrees Mme Vaithyanathasarma. Phone calls have replaced doorbells. Meetings are held via interposed screens.
Does she manage to make up for lost time in the field? ” Not entirely. It is still important to have contact with people. I felt it when we collected our signatures for the [Directeur général des élections du Québec] “, she relates.
The solidarity campaign team maintains that it kept a cool head when it was informed of the positive result of its candidate. “If we did a full campaign on the phone, that wouldn’t be the ideal situation, obviously. But a few days is not necessarily a big disadvantage. We contact a lot more people by phone,” says the campaign’s communications manager, Camille L. De Serres.
COVID-19 on the menu
The candidate of the Coalition avenir Québec, Shirley Dorismond, “found it difficult” to have to wait two days for the result of a PCR test which ultimately turned out to be negative. “I was like: ‘Oh no, I won’t be able to see my world'”, recalls the one who calls herself a regular at “human contacts”.
For liberal Émilie Nollet, the partial is “perhaps less warm” than a non-covid campaign could be. But it could also be a preview of the national race expected from September. “You’re always going to have to keep COVID-19 in mind,” she said.
Applicants may not have a choice. If COVID-19 infiltrated Shophika Vaithyanathasarma during the campaign, it also infiltrated the speech of voters, notes the united candidate. So the management of the pandemic could become the main issue of the election, according to her.
“People are worried. They wonder what we do with a sixth wave. People need to be reassured by politics,” she says.
The candidate of the Conservative Party of Quebec, Anne Casabonne, maintains that the residents of the Longueuil riding are fed up with health measures. “They are really tired,” she says.
Pierre Nantel hopes “to eventually be able to talk about something else”. Shirley Dorismond believes that the ability of the Quebec population to “live with the virus” will make it possible to experience a slightly more normal national campaign next fall.
But for now, it’s time to be cautious, says Mme Dorismond. She also accuses her main opponent in the polls, Pierre Nantel, of having campaigned without a mask in a shopping center this week. ” [Lundi], I ran into Mr. Nantel at Place Longueuil. He walked around without a mask. […] He can’t deny it, ”she insists.
“Honestly, I can’t believe it,” replies the PQ candidate. It’s incredible as an accusation. What is it cheap. Mr. Nantel wholeheartedly denies the accusations of the caquist.
Marie-Victorin voters will vote on Monday.