They met on the school benches fifteen years ago. They will now team up in environment on the benches of the Blue Room.
The duty learned that the co-spokesperson of Quebec solidaire (QS), Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, and the deputy Alejandra Zaga Mendez will share the “green” responsibilities in the shadow cabinet of the political training at the National Assembly.
Previously covered by solidarity co-spokesperson, Manon Massé, the fight against climate change issues will be entrusted to the parliamentary leader of QS in a spirit of “coherence”. “In the campaign, we had promised that under a united government, the fight against climate change would be a responsibility of the Prime Minister,” says Mr. Nadeau-Dubois to justify this decision.
In addition to the environment, Mme Zaga Mendez inherits the wildlife, parks, forests and natural resources files, in particular.
For the two “old friends”, it’s a reunion, notes Mr. Nadeau-Dubois in an interview with The duty. “We met during our years of activism in CEGEP. Student activism, but also ecological activism, already at the time, ”says the former student leader.
“We meet again fifteen years later, in 2022, at the National Assembly, to combine our forces” and lead “the battle of a generation”, he adds.
Paths to the “antipodes”
If their lives crossed in the student movement, the two united took different paths in subsequent years. While Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois continued his militant involvement, Alejandra Zaga Mendez embarked on long post-secondary studies.
“Despite our life paths which are almost at the antipodes, we have always found ourselves in this battle [l’environnement] “, observes the united co-spokesperson.
At 34, Mr.me Zaga Mendez comes to Parliament with a strong environmental background. The former president of QS holds a master’s degree in natural resources and a doctorate in sustainable development. She is behind large parts of the united climate plan presented at the start of the electoral campaign last month.
According to Mr. Nadeau-Dubois, the “expertise” of the one he calls “Alé” will offer “additional tools [à Québec solidaire] to convince [le premier ministre] François Legault to do more” in terms of the environment.
For his part, M.me Zaga Mendez boasts of the debating talents of the united parliamentary leader, who has already unraveled for more than a year with François Legault in the last legislature. “Gabriel is a seasoned parliamentarian. Despite his young age [32 ans]he is one of the most experienced parliamentarians in the National Assembly and the best person to face François Legault, ”she says.
“Collaboration” above all
In the next legislature, there is no question of threatening Parliament with obstruction, as the party did in the last mandate with its “ultimatum 2020” – which provided for the multiplication of acts of obstruction if the Coalition avenir Québec did not certain climatic gestures —, assures Mr. Nadeau-Dubois.
On the evening of the October 3 elections, the solidarity parliamentary leader had warned his CAQ vis-à-vis, François Legault: “Every time he wants to take a step forward on the environment, I will be his partner. Every time he wants to take a step back, I will be his opponent. »
It is with this philosophy in mind that the supportive environmental duo will present themselves at the Salon bleu on November 29. “We can’t wait four years,” says Mr. Nadeau-Dubois. When the time comes to talk about the third link, François Legault will not like us very much. But when the time comes to talk about how to do more to electrify transportation faster in Quebec, of course we will work together. »
First and foremost, Mr.me Zaga Mendez invites the CAQ government to review its green plan as soon as possible, which currently only provides for half of the measures necessary to achieve Quebec’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. “The minimum right now is to reach the targets we have set for Quebec. And the plan, you don’t arrive when you do the math. What we need, as soon as possible, is to achieve the 37.5% reduction [d’ici 2030 par rapport aux niveaux de 1990] “, she argues.
New Shadow Cabinet
In addition to appointing a new environmental duo, QS is making several changes to its shadow cabinet this fall. Formerly in the economy, the deputy for Mercier, Ruba Ghazal, inherits the education. The former holder of this position, Christine Labrie, will deal with justice and social services, among other things.
The newly elected Etienne Grandmont and Haroun Bouazzi will comment respectively on transport and finance. On the eve of a mandate that could be dominated by questions about the third Québec-Lévis link, it is MP Sol Zanetti who will take care of the Capitale-Nationale.
Vincent Marissal and Andrés Fontecilla will retain substantially the same charges. Co-spokesperson Manon Massé also, with relations with First Nations and Inuit, issues of gender and sex diversity and homelessness.