MONTREAL | Caught in the act of stealing a PQ leaflet by a surveillance camera, the solidarity Marie-Eve Rancourt withdrew her candidacy in Camille-Laurin, which could help Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.
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After canceling a press scrum he was to grant at the end of his meeting with Mayor Valérie Plante, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois announced at the start of the evening that Ms. Rancourt has decided to withdraw.
“Marie-Eve did not want to become a distraction for the Québec solidaire campaign. I agree with her. […] I told Marie-Eve […] that she had made the right decision”, related the co-spokesperson for QS, who saw the start of his last week of electoral campaign marred by all this history.
Until then, a hot fight was played out in Camille-Laurin (Bourget), between the outgoing CAQ MP, Richard Campeau, the PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and Quebec solidaire. The gap between Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon and his CAQ rival therefore risks being reduced significantly.
“It was not an easy afternoon for anyone, you will understand, but the page has been turned, we are back to work. There is one week left in this election campaign, I am ready to continue the work, ”said Mr. Nadeau-Dubois, before going to lend a hand to his candidate in Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard. .
Apologies
It was the candidate herself, Marie-Eve Rancourt, a lawyer by profession, who confessed an hour after the publication, by the voter residing at the address where the event occurred, images captured by his surveillance camera.
In the first video, we first see a Parti Québécois volunteer drop off a tract from PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who is trying to get elected in Camille-Laurin, in her mailbox.
We then see, in the second sequence, Mme Rancourt file his own leaflet before stealing “the other that was already there”, denounced the citizen. “Incredible and unacceptable,” he lamented.
In a short message published an hour after the publication of the video, Mme Rancourt made a point of apologizing to his PQ rival.
“I would like to personally apologize to Paul St-Pierre Plamondon for the video that appeared on Facebook. This should never have happened. All candidates have their place in this race and I am committed to finishing this electoral sprint with respect and the rules of the art,” she noted.
“Immoral” and “undemocratic” says PSPP
PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon described the gesture made by Mr.me Rancourt “immoral” and “undemocratic”. He took note of his withdrawal.
“I accept the apologies, but the meaning of the gesture still remains,” commented the PQ leader on his return from the Magdalen Islands.
“If it was at the Parti Québécois, and then a candidate made a gesture like that, I would meet the person to tell him: I’m sorry, but you can no longer be part of the team”, affirmed the leader of the PQ.
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“I had a bit of a hard time believing it. It’s a video that’s quite specific, it’s quite unique electorally. It’s the kind of tactic that discourages everyone from politics, it’s a bit that feeling that I had, “he had reacted a little earlier, before the withdrawal of the candidacy of Mme Rancourt is announced.
Canceled votes
Verification made with Elections Quebec, voters in the riding of Camille-Laurin who had already voted in advance in favor of the united candidate will see their ballots counted among the canceled votes.
Unfortunately, these voters will not have the chance to recover this year.
From now on, “if the ballot papers are already printed, the name of the candidate [qui s’est retirée] will be crossed out by hand and all voters to whom the ballot will be given will be informed,” said Gabriel Sauvé-Lesiège, spokesperson for Élections Québec.
“The right decision” reacts Duhaime
Passing through Lévis early Monday evening, Éric Duhaime had this brief comment. “In the circumstances, she made the right decision. I think the incident is closed for now. We will move on, ”he dropped, speaking of the withdrawal of the solidarity candidacy.
A few minutes earlier, Mr. Duhaime had not wanted to get involved in this story or give any advice to his supportive rival. “This is not the kind of practice we want to see from activists, let alone candidates. That being said, I don’t have any advice for other chefs,” he said.
The Conservative leader then candidly admitted this: “I manage my own candidates and then I have my plate full of them (..) I didn’t like it when the other leaders got involved in the management of my team of candidates. I will not start doing what I blamed them for a few days ago”.
A criminal offence?
Earlier in the day, the Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec (DGEQ) indicated that leaflet theft is not regulated by the Election Act. “Theft or mischief to property are offenses governed by the Criminal Code. These situations must therefore be reported to the police,” said Gabriel Sauvé-Lesiège, spokesperson for Élections Québec.
According to the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), it could be a criminal offence.
“A situation like the one you mention is an offense (theft) under the Criminal Code”, ie section 334 b), which concerns thefts of $5,000 or less.
However, it remains to be seen whether the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) would uphold the complaint, if necessary.
“For reasons of confidentiality, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal never confirms, with very rare exceptions, that a legal or natural person is the subject of a complaint or is the subject of an investigation”, recalled the communications division of the SPVM.
– With Gabriel Côté, QMI Agency, Nicolas Lachance and Taïeb Moalla