Journalist and political analyst at Radio-Canada, Martine Biron, will be a candidate for the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) in the next provincial election in the riding of Chutes-de-la-Chaudière.
Posted at 3:54 p.m.
Updated at 5:19 p.m.
The Press was able to confirm this information first reported by Radio-Canada late Wednesday afternoon, just hours after the current MP for this riding on the south shore of Quebec, Marc Picard, announced that he will not seek a new mandate.
According to our information, Martine Biron was approached by the party of François Legault a few months ago. After having first declined the offer of the director general of the party, Brigitte Legault, to present herself under the caquiste banner, she would have been asked again in the last days.
A meeting with the Prime Minister was organized yesterday, after which Martine Biron would have taken 24 hours to decide. She reportedly announced to her employer on Wednesday that she was leaving her job. The official announcement of his candidacy will be made in the coming days.
Currently on vacation, Martine Biron did not call back The Press Wednesday. Until very recently, she analyzed Quebec politics on a daily basis on Radio-Canada from the National Assembly.
Marc Picard bows out
This news follows the departure of caquiste Marc Picard who, after having first hinted that he would be a candidate in the provincial elections on October 3, finally announced Wednesday that he will not seek a new mandate.
“Until recently, I had the firm intention of presenting myself again, but during my vacation, events made me realize the need and the importance of being present for my spouse. Obviously, it was a logical choice to put an end to my political commitment for which I have devoted a large part of my professional life”, he indicated in a press release issued on Wednesday.
PHOTO ÉRICK LABBÉ, LE SOLEIL ARCHIVES
Mr. Picard was first elected in 2003 under the banner of the Action Démocratique du Québec (ADQ). He then sat as an independent from 2009 to 2012, when he joined the CAQ.
“Today, I am happy to see all the work accomplished in the field, all the files completed or progressing. It is thanks to this precious collaboration that all together we can make things move forward,” continues the man who also held the position of Vice-President of the National Assembly.
First elected in 2003 under the banner of the Action démocratique du Québec, Marc Picard sat as an independent from 2009 to 2012 before joining the Coalition Avenir Québec.
“I would like to thank Marc for his political commitment over the past 19 years. He joined the CAQ at a crucial time in our existence when we were in our infancy as a political party. He is one of our pillars and I will always be grateful to him for having believed in our project, ”reacted the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, on Wednesday.
The Press reported at the beginning of the month that the CAQ strategically intended to wait as long as possible to announce the departure of its member for Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, a riding on the south shore of Quebec, since it is a land potentially fertile for Éric Duhaime’s Conservative Party. Thus, the CAQ strategists did not want to give the Conservatives time to identify a candidate.