At least two candidates wish to run for Québec solidaire in the Maurice-Richard riding for the next provincial elections. An activist and deputy vice-president of a major public financial institution, Haroun Bouazzi told the Homework Friday that he embarks on this race.
The constituency is very high on the list of hotspots for the party. Solidarity candidate Raphaël Rebelo was defeated there by the Liberals by just 530 votes in the 2018 election. Mr. Rebelo is once again a candidate for the nomination and other people could also start.
“I am capable of making Québec solidaire win in Maurice-Richard,” insists Mr. Bouazzi from the outset in an interview. Driven by “a sense of urgency” in the face of the multiple crises, he says he has built bonds of trust with several community groups and associative networks, “which will make it possible to broaden our electoral base”.
He also garners the support of Manon Massé, spokesperson for Québec solidaire, who describes him as “spirited”: “He is a person who has been campaigning for a long time for a Québec that leaves no one behind. She sees her “economic credibility and her knowledge of Quebec SMEs” as an asset for the party.
A volunteer for 20 years, he has spoken publicly on issues of social justice, economic inequality and access to public services. Over the years, he has received recognition on the one hand — notably from the Commission on Human and Youth Rights — and death threats on the other for his public speaking.
“It is now in the National Assembly that I would like to make a difference, and within my political family”, continues the forties.
Between secularism, causes and finance
Haroun Bouazzi also made a name for himself as co-president of the Association of Muslims and Arabs for Secularism in Quebec (AMAL-Quebec). He was among those who floated the idea of having a commission on systemic racism as early as 2016.
During the consultations on Bill 21, he defended secularism as a “democratic tool” to promote living together. On the same occasion, the candidate for the solidarity nomination opposed the ban on the wearing of religious symbols by state employees.
His fights are also broader, he insists “I remain an anti-racist activist, but also an ally of feminist, LGBT and environmental causes. His position as a high-level manager in an institution that caters to small and medium-sized businesses will allow him “to defend Québec solidaire’s economic program in the National Assembly,” he said.
The electoral division formerly called Crémazie is located in the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, and also includes part of Montréal-Nord. About 30% of its residents describe themselves as belonging to a visible minority, compared to an average of 13.7% for all of Quebec. The same proportion of residents (nearly a third) are immigrants, including 7.9% who arrived less than five years ago. “I think there are marginalized populations in this constituency who have lost their trust in political institutions,” he explains.
Himself landed in Quebec in 2000, he relies on the background of his French mother, his Tunisian father and his Canadian citizenship to represent this diversity. “I want to participate in reconciling these groups that do not feel represented and echo the issues they experience where decisions are made. »
He will oppose Raphaël Rebelo at the investiture meeting on April 20. He teaches at Collège Ahuntsic and holds a doctorate in mathematical physics. He has lived in the Ahuntsic district for several years and narrowly escaped a victory in 2018 against Liberal candidate Marie Montpetit.