(Quebec) Éric Duhaime claims his place in the sun.
Even if he did not succeed in electing any deputy on October 3, the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) maintains that a place in the National Assembly is his by right.
Tuesday, as soon as parliamentary work resumes, Mr. Duhaime will send a letter to the one who should in all likelihood become the next president of the National Assembly, the member for Montarville, Nathalie Roy, to convince her to grant him special status. , despite the fact that he failed to get elected.
“We have to find a way to arrange a layout that will give us a minimum of room in the sun,” commented Mr. Duhaime, Sunday, in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press, on the sidelines of a partisan activity held in Beauce.
To justify his request, he will argue that his party received the support of more than half a million voters on October 3, and that their voice must be heard in parliament.
Mr. Duhaime is essentially asking for three things: that he be provided with an office in the precincts of parliament, that he be allowed access to members of the parliamentary press gallery during press briefings held in the Assembly national and the assurance of being able to participate in the closed sessions normally reserved for elected officials, during the presentation of the budget for example.
According to him, a refusal to accede to his demands, which would set a precedent, would have “something undemocratic. It is completely absurd what is happening”.
He believes that the President of the National Assembly “has the power to ensure that every vote counts in Quebec. It is the guardian of Quebec democracy, “said the political leader.
In recent weeks, he says he has contacted the other party leaders and says he is hopeful that they will all support his approach and his demands.
“These accommodations will not cost taxpayers a penny and this approach would send a positive sign that every vote counts in Quebec. It is about respecting your institution, promoting a healthy democracy and valuing each vote,” writes Mr. Duhaime in his letter, which will be sent on Tuesday, as soon as the president is elected.
Raiding
If only one of the 125 deputies passed in his camp, Mr. Duhaime would not have to carry out all his steps. A Conservative defector MP would automatically open the doors of parliament to him. We will not be surprised that in parallel with the requests directed to the National Assembly, Mr. Duhaime carries out raiding. “We are starting to identify people who are dissatisfied in the various caucuses,” he admits, without wanting to give names.
Despite his claims to have his place in parliament, Mr. Duhaime is not ready to demand an in-depth reform of the rules and an overhaul of the voting system, on the pretext that his party has not spoken on this issue. . But this will be done, he assures, at the next party congress in 2023.
The Conservative Party won 13% of the popular vote on October 3.
To obtain official recognition in the National Assembly, a parliamentary group must have received at least 12 deputies or 20% of the vote. “This percentage needs to be reviewed in light of the new reality,” he said, referring to the multiplication in the number of parties in recent years.
He would personally be in favor of lowering the bar for parliamentary recognition to “5 or 10%” of the popular vote, instead of 20%, “which would be much more realistic”.