Quebec politicians are divided on whether or not to continue their campaigns, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The leader of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ), François Legault, has already announced that he will suspend his while Québec solidaire (QS) and the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) do not intend to take a break.
Posted at 2:35 p.m.
Updated at 2:44 p.m.
François Legault had scheduled an announcement in Tadoussac this afternoon. This has been cancelled. Nor will he go to an activist rally in a microbrewery in the municipality of Côte-de-Beaupré.
“I am not a specialist in the affairs of the Queen. We will come back to you, ”briefly commented the chief caquist François Legault, Thursday morning before the announcement of the death, when asked about the impact that the affair could have on the electoral campaign. At the same time, he admitted that he was not personally shaken by what is currently happening in the United Kingdom.
Québec solidaire, for its part, however assured that the party will not put its electoral campaign on hold, despite the death of the queen. Earlier Thursday, before the announcement of the death, the parliamentary leader of Quebec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois had nevertheless offered his thoughts to the monarchical family.
“At times like these, it’s important to distinguish the institution from the individual. I have little affection for the monarchical institution, but when a person is sick, all we can do is wish him a good recovery, and wish that it goes as well as possible with his loved ones, ” he pointed out.
Unwelcome to debate, says Duhaime
The Conservative leader, Éric Duhaime, is also continuing his campaign today. He must hold a meeting with the Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA) in the afternoon, but no partisan rally in the evening. “It’s a very sad day for everyone, however offered Mr. Duhaime. It is also historic, he is the head of state who has been on the throne the longest. She was a calm, moderate woman. »
Remember that the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) has no official position on the monarchy. Éric Duhaime believes that to hold this debate now would be inappropriate. “When someone has just died, I don’t think it’s the time to start thinking about changing structures. I have never been a great monarchist. That being said, I still have respect for the institutions,” he said.
“A significant figure in history, Queen Elizabeth II dedicated her life to public service. She will have gone through several pivotal moments of our time, always with great dignity. All my thoughts are with his family and the British people, ”said Liberal leader Dominique Anglade on her Twitter account, just minutes after the news broke.
It is unclear whether or not the Liberals will halt their campaign at this point. The chef planned to indulge in an afternoon walkabout at the Atwater market. Passing by the Union des producteurs agricole (UPA) on Thursday to present his commitments in agriculture, the leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre-Plamondon, had not yet reacted to the news, at the time of writing these lines.
With Hugo Pilon-Larose, Tommy Chouinard, Charles Lecavalier, Fanny Lévesque and Mylène Crête, The Press