Liberal, solidarity and PQ elected officials united their voices on Friday in Montreal to denounce the electoral reform planned in Quebec, which they describe as “catastrophic”. If this materializes in the version envisaged by the Electoral Representation Commission (CRE), the task of elected officials in eastern Montreal will be increased and the quality of services provided to citizens reduced, they said. warned.
“We are preparing to make a major mistake,” said the leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, on Friday during a press conference in Montreal held in the presence of the solidarity MP for Rosemont, Vincent Marissal, as well as the liberal MP for Bourassa-Sauvé, Madwa-Nika Cadet.
In its preliminary report, the CRE, which was summoned to a parliamentary committee last month, proposes modifying the borders of 55 electoral districts in Quebec, which has 125.
The organization, which is currently working on a revised report expected next fall, plans to be able to determine a new electoral map in time for the 2026 general elections.
However, this electoral map, if it is based on the model provided for in the preliminary report of the CRE, would disrupt the daily lives of several elected officials, starting with that of the member for Rosemont, whose constituency could be renamed “Rosemont–Louis- Riel” at the end of the disappearance of the current constituency of Anjou–Louis-Riel. The number of constituencies in Montreal would then increase from 27 to 26.
However, the east of Montreal is currently at the heart of several projects aimed at revitalizing its economy, while the extension of the blue metro line to Anjou as well as the expected arrival of other structuring modes of transport will not do anything. so as to contribute to an increase in the population of this sector.
The three MPs who summoned the media on Friday took turns expressing their fears that by losing a riding, residents of eastern Montreal would no longer be able to be adequately served by their provincial elected officials. These deputies, who were all elected in the east of Montreal, would at the same time see their workload increase, at the very time when this sector of the metropolis is experiencing demographic growth thanks to immigration.
“Let’s do this right. Let’s not destroy the balance we have in the east. This is really not the time to do that,” declared Mr. Marissal, while recalling that it is not only his constituency “that would be affected” by the proposed reform of the electoral map. “There are several constituencies which are almost devastated by what was proposed to us,” said the MP. The latter then underlined that the elimination of a constituency in Gaspésie is also envisaged as part of this reform of the electoral map, which the MP did not hesitate to describe as “catastrophic”.
Reform the law
Elected officials are therefore calling for a moratorium on the work of the CRE while changes are made to the Electoral Law, in particular so that the growth of the entire population of constituencies – and not just the number of voters – is taken into account in the electoral map reform process. Because currently, “the different concepts of this law do not take into account today’s reality”, in a context where Quebec welcomes more and more new immigrants, argued Madwa-Nika Cadet.
The process started by the CRE would thus resume in 2026 so that a new electoral map is determined in time for the general elections of 2030, proposed Madwa-Nika Cadet.
“Better to do it [la réforme de la carte électorale] correctly by considering in particular the possibility of increasing the number of seats, as well as forcing the Director General of Elections to work in the 125 existing seats, and therefore creating problems which do not exist at the moment”, for his part underlined Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.
Vincent Marissal was also in favor on Friday of the electoral map possibly providing for a number of constituencies exceeding 125, the maximum limit provided for in the Electoral Law. “We could go up to 129 constituencies,” he said.