(Quebec and Montreal) Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois admits: his relationship with former MP Catherine Dorion was not “the easiest”. According to the parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire, his former colleague’s vision of the political system reduces the work of elected officials “to a footnote.”
“Catherine and I haven’t had the easiest relationship. That won’t surprise anyone. The fact remains that despite our differences and disagreements, the story she gives of her time in politics is moving. No one, ever, should come out so hurt by their political commitment. Nowhere and especially not in Québec solidaire,” the parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire wrote on Monday on his Facebook page.
He thus responded in turn to the publication of the book by Mme Dorion, The hotheads, notebooks of punk hope, where the ex-elect evokes certain tensions that she had with the party leadership, and in particular with her co-spokesperson.
According to Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, it quickly became clear that certain disagreements would exist with the member for Taschereau. “If we often agree on the faults of Parliament, we do not agree on what we should do there,” he relates in the present tense.
“I believe that the left must participate and seek to make concrete gains, even if our legislative framework is very imperfect. […] For Catherine, the current system condemns the politician to play the role of “zombie tribune, erased, scripted, unfit to make history”. I do not recognize my colleagues in this description and I cannot agree with a version of history that reduces their work to a footnote,” continues the MP for Gouin.
He also delivered a message to the members of Québec solidaire.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire
You don’t have to choose a side, because there is no side to choose. Our political family needs everyone. The punks and the less punks, the Manon and the Alejandra, the Amir and the Françoise. The Catherines and the Gabriels.
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, on Facebook
Already, in the evening, united elected officials seemed to rally behind the point of view of their parliamentary leader. “Thank you for this beautiful message which encourages us to come together despite our differences”, for example reacted MP Ruba Ghazal, one of the three candidates vying to succeed Manon Massé. Other elected officials like Alejandra Zaga Mendez and Alexandre Leduc also agreed.
“Childish and childish”
All this occurs while a former collaborator of Mme Dorion described the former MP as being self-centered and uninterested in parliamentary work, in a letter posted on social media.
“She blames Gabriel [Nadeau-Dubois] of being selfish and using his position for self-promotion. I think what bothers her so much is that she recognizes herself in this imaginary character,” writes Louis-Phillipe Boulianne, who now works for the parliamentary wing of QS.
Mr. Boulianne recounts the journey he took with the woman who was MP for Taschereau from 2018 to 2022, from admiration to disenchantment. “I had the opportunity to read Catherine Dorion’s book. I come away from this reading with great sadness,” he lamented.
When Mr. Boulianne arrived in the Quebec parliament in 2018, he shared with Mr.me Dorion “has a deep contempt for the institution and what happens there”, but today he considers that this point of view was “puerile and childish”.
Initially, he approved of M’s outingsme Dorion. “People from the team, press officers, Taschereau activists or party organizers, called me, exasperated and angry at Catherine’s new media adventures. Systematically, I defended and protected Catherine. I had the deep conviction that we were right, that the institution […] needed a good dose of creative impetus which was incompatible with boring and dry parliamentary work,” he explains.
“That’s the job”
Throughout his work in the National Assembly, Mr. Boulianne nevertheless emphasizes having better understood the “thankless” work of opposition deputies. “It’s true that he is often very boring, BUT THAT’S THE JOB,” he writes, citing the work of other elected officials from Québec solidaire who have worked “thousands of hours in committee, far kodaks, debating dry amendments.”
He claims to have lost respect for MP Catherine Dorion “as she took refuge, first in presenteeism, then finally simply in absenteeism”.
PHOTO FROM X
Louis-Phillipe Boulianne, from the parliamentary wing of Québec solidaire
After 5 years, I am finally ready to say it: Catherine did not lift our movement to the top. On the contrary, she leaned on the shoulders of our party to raise herself higher.
Louis-Phillipe Boulianne, from the parliamentary wing of Québec solidaire
Mr. Boulianne asserts that it is false to attribute the “internal criticism” of Catherine Dorion’s media misadventures solely to Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. “The frustration and anger towards Catherine did not only come from the top of the pyramid as she claims. I would go so far as to say that a good majority of employees, regardless of role and position, were frankly fed up,” he says.
He also criticizes Mme Dorion for having “never taken the slightest interest” in the authorities of Québec solidaire, “including the coordination committee of his own county”.
Few comments
Several MPs, for their part, indicated that they had not had time to read Ms.me Dorion and that they would take the time to do so in the coming days. This is the case of the three candidates to succeed Manon Massé as female spokesperson for the party. “Christine [Labrie] will take the time to read the book today,” said his press secretary, Camila Rodriguez-Cea. As for Ruba Ghazal, her spokesperson, Shophika Vaithyanathasarma, indicated that the MP “will undoubtedly prefer to read it before commenting on the situation”. Same story with Émilise Lessard-Therrien’s team. “Émilise would like to take the time to read Catherine’s book before reacting,” said Élisabeth Labelle.