Prime Minister François Legault put forward the CAQ candidacy of Marie-Anik Shoiry on Monday, after emphasizing that the result of the by-election in Jean-Talon will have no impact on his government.
Before heading to a district of Quebec with his candidate to go door-to-door, Mr. Legault stopped at the electoral premises of Ms.me Shoiry, in the shopping center sector of the Ste-Foy district.
During a subsequent exchange with journalists, the CAQ leader elaborated on the importance of electing a woman to move towards parity in the National Assembly.
“It should be a candidate, we haven’t yet reached 50/50 so it takes a candidate,” he said.
Among the five main parties in the race, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) and the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) are presenting female candidates in Jean-Talon.
Mr. Legault refrained from emphasizing the importance of keeping Jean-Talon in the CAQ fold, as was the case since 2019 before the departure of MP Joëlle Boutin last summer.
“I think things are going well at the moment. I don’t see why Jean-Talon would change, not stay in government, especially since we have the best candidate,” he declared.
By announcing the candidacy of Mr.me Shoiry, last month, Mr. Legault recognized that by-elections sometimes channel more of the vote of discontented people against governments.
On Monday, Mr. Legault chose to put Mme Shoiry ahead, one week before the by-election and in the middle of advance voting.
“There will be no change of government following the by-election, we have 89 deputies,” he said. That’s very much a vote for the candidate. »
Mr. Legault notably highlighted the roots of M.me Shoiry in the constituency. She is the daughter of the former mayor of Sillery, Paul Shoiry, an area which is part of the riding of Jean-Talon.
“She fell into politics when she was little with her father Paul Shoiry,” he recalled.
Silence on the third link
After going door to door with his boss, Mme Shoiry expressed confidence that CAQ voters will vote even if their participation is not necessary to keep their party in power.
“People need to ask themselves who is the best person to represent them, do they want an MP in solution mode, who will be proactive, who will be positive, or do they want an MP whose primary objective will be to establish sovereignty or to criticize,” she said.
Just as Mr. Legault had done before her, Ms. Shoiry framed the issue of the election at the level of the candidates.
“The partisan dynamic is not going to change following the outcome of the election, that’s what he meant. The question that citizens must ask themselves is who is the best person to represent them in the National Assembly. »
Ms. Shoiry affirmed that the government’s decline in the third link project has no consequence in the hearts of the voters she meets.
“They talk to me very little about it, what they talk to me about is mainly the cost of living and road safety,” she assured.
By announcing Ms. Shoiry’s candidacy, Mr. Legault defended his honesty after returning to his electoral promise of a highway tunnel between Quebec and Lévis.
PQ candidate Pascal Paradis maintained that this decision was already in the cards before the 2022 general election.
During the door-to-door campaign on rue du Boisé-de-Sillery, Mr. Legault and his candidate knocked on doors where all the voters assured him of their support, except in one case.
Former Liberal MP Michel Pigeon, who lives on this street, confirmed to him that he remained faithful to liberal values.