The caucus of Quebec solidaire (QS) can count on a new player. Guillaume Cliche-Rivard was sworn in as MP for Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne on Tuesday, becoming the twelfth elected member of his party.
The lawyer inherits the files of immigration, francization, justice, international relations and the Francophonie within the second opposition group. It also allows Québec solidaire to form the largest caucus in its history, 15 years after the election of its first deputy, former co-spokesperson Amir Khadir.
“Those of you who remember his swearing in remember a tribute that Amir paid to another great deputy from Mercier: MP Gérald Godin, a great Quebecer, a great nationalist who devoted himself to building bridges between Quebecers from here and elsewhere, ”said solidarity co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois on Tuesday, in the moments following the official swearing-in of his new colleague.
Looking towards Mr. Cliche-Rivard, “GND” called on the MP for Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne to “defend those whom politics too often forgets”. “In Godin’s day, you find people who say you should choose. Choose between defending those who have always been Quebecers and those who have decided to become one, ”he launched, in a thinly veiled attack against the government of the Coalition avenir Québec. “That’s old divisive politics. »
An immigration lawyer, Mr. Cliche-Rivard intends to address sooner rather than later the issues related to the reception of newcomers. In his speech to family and friends, he made known his intentions to “get away from the numbers.”
“In the 1980s, the Department of Immigration under the Lévesque government sent each newcomer to Quebec a welcome letter […] in which it was written: “We were waiting for you”. How things have changed, unfortunately,” he said.
“We have to treat humans in a humane way,” continued the elected official, a few days after the closure of Roxham Road, on the border between the United States and Quebec.
Mr. Cliche-Rivard was elected in the March 13 by-election with a majority of more than 2,700 votes over the Quebec Liberal Party, which until then had been represented by former leader Dominique Anglade.
Like the three MPs from the Parti Québécois last year, the new MP for Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne avoided taking the oath to the king. The National Assembly had adopted a bill in December to make it optional.
He will take part in his first question period in the Blue Room on Tuesday.