(Quebec) The Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) will trust a university researcher and entrepreneur specializing in inclusive leadership, Émilie Nollet, to defend the colors of the political party in the by-election in Marie-Victorin, scheduled for the start of 2022.
The Liberal leader confirmed her choice on the sidelines of the members’ convention which ended Sunday in Quebec. Her recruit, aged 35, is executive director and co-founder of the consulting firm Heptagone, which supports companies in their strategy of inclusion, diversity and employment equity.
She also holds a doctorate in business administration, option management, strategy and entrepreneurship, from HEC Montréal.
Unknown to the general public, she wants to bet on “the wind of change” blowing in Marie-Victorin, alluding to the election of Catherine Fournier as mayor of Longueuil, to seduce the electorate of this PQ stronghold.
PHOTO PATRICE LAROCHE, THE SUN
Émilie Nollet, candidate of the Liberal Party of Quebec in the by-election in Marie-Victorin, and Dominique Anglade, party leader
With the ideas put forward with the Liberal Party, I think anything can happen.
Émilie Nollet, during a press briefing with the chef Dominique Anglade
Mme Nollet does not live in the constituency of Marie-Victorin, but promises to move there if she is elected. She currently resides in her leader’s riding, Saint-Henri – Sainte-Anne, in Montreal.
Fourth in 2018
The riding of Marie-Victorin was left vacant by the election for mayor of Longueuil of ex-PQ Catherine Fournier, who had sat as an independent since 2019.
Dominique Anglade had invited his political opponents to leave the field open to the extra-parliamentary leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ), Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, if he decided to run for votes to promote his entry into the Blue Room.
But the PQ has instead chosen to present Pierre Nantel, former federal deputy of the New Democratic Party who joined the Green Party in the 2019 elections. The Coalition d’avenir Québec (CAQ) and Québec solidaire (QS) will also have a candidate on ranks, but have yet to make their identities known.
François Legault has let it be known that it would be “probably” a woman. During the general council of the CAQ, the president of the political formation, Sarah Beaumier, had not ruled out running as a candidate in Marie-Victorin.
In 2018, the Liberals were ranked fourth in Marie-Victorin, with only 15% of the vote. The PQ won with a narrow majority of 705 votes and 30.8% of the vote, closely followed by the CAQ, with 28.3% of the vote, followed by QS, a good third with 21% support.