(Rouyn-Noranda) The surprise resignation of Pierre Fitzgibbon disrupts the plans of the Parti Québécois, which cuts short its caucus in Rouyn-Noranda to head to Terrebonne. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon wants to win the CAQ seat and is already planning a “two-way battle” in this former PQ stronghold.
“The battles [sont] “significant every time the CAQ and the Parti Québécois meet in a two-on-one battle,” leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon told reporters.
“The CAQ obtained very, very strong support in the last two elections, but we have real roots in Terrebonne. These are significant meetings for the future. That explains why we will be there from [ce jeudi]there is an attachment on our side and we will spare no effort,” he added.
The PQ caucus met in Rouyn-Noranda on Wednesday to prepare for the parliamentary session. According to the initial plans, the work session was to continue this Thursday morning. However, the bus that transported the elected officials and their teams to Abitibi-Témiscamingue is changing its route to bring them back to Terrebonne. A press briefing is planned for the afternoon followed by a first activist rally.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon hopes to make his mark as a by-election will be called within six months due to the departure of the superminister of the Legault government.
“We are necessarily in an election campaign to the extent that this by-election is significant and will be called in the coming months. It substantially changes the sequence that we had planned for the session. It is an election campaign, it has a national scope as was the case in Jean-Talon, there is interest,” explained the PQ leader, who speaks of a “turning point” around 2026.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
The PQ caucus met in Rouyn-Noranda to prepare for the parliamentary session.
Another possible change is that the Parti Québécois could choose to postpone the presentation of its immigration plan, which the political party also calls its response to the Initiative of the Century (a Canadian lobby group that promotes sustained growth in immigration to Canada) scheduled for October. Last year, it had chosen to present the budget for year 1 after the election in Jean-Talon.
“I sincerely believe that when we dedicate ourselves to a by-election, the subject should be the by-election. That is to say, the issues that affect citizens, national issues as well. But creating distractions and mobilizing teams on something other than the by-election is counterproductive,” he said Wednesday.
The electoral projection site Qc125 presents Terrebonne in Lanaudière as a “probable” gain for the Parti Québécois, which has been leading in voting intentions across the province for several months. Terrebonne carried the PQ colours almost without interruption from 1976 to 2018. Only the Action démocratique du Québec made a breakthrough there from 2007 to 2008.
The PQ hopes to reproduce the scenario of the Jean-Talon by-election triggered by the resignation of CAQ MNA Joëlle Boutin at the end of July 2023. The party caused a surprise by electing lawyer Pascal Paradis in this former Liberal stronghold. This victory gave momentum to the PQ, which has nevertheless lost five points in voting intentions since the spring, according to the latest polls.
Female candidate desired
A win in Terrebonne would add a fifth MP to the PQ caucus, which is currently composed exclusively of men. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon wants to recruit a woman, but there is no question of excluding male candidates.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
The PQ caucus is entirely male. The deputies are Pascal Paradis, Joël Arseneau, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and Pascal Bérubé.
“It’s a democratic party, so it’s the authorities that have the final say. I’m the leader and in the statutes, it’s written that my mandate is to give direction to the Parti Québécois. The members of the authorities will tell you that I never hesitate to give direction,” said Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon.
My wish is to have a wife, but it is clear that there must be a process and that there are a lot of criteria.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of the Parti Québécois
For now, the name of the Bloc Québécois MP for Terrebonne, economist Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, has been circulating in the region for a while as a potential candidate for the Parti Québécois. Reached by The Pressthe main interested party affirmed that “for the moment [sa] head is in Ottawa,” not closing the door to a possible jump into provincial politics in the future.
“It’s logical that my name is circulating,” she said, describing herself as “an economist, a sovereignist, a woman and a mother” who has “carved out a place for herself in her field.”
Present at the caucus, the party’s national spokesperson, Meganne Perry Mélançon, who is originally from Gaspé, ruled out the possibility of running in Terrebonne. The president of the Parti Québécois, Catherine Gentilcore, said she was “very good as president.”
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon did not want to “speculate” on the names of possible candidates, but he admits that Mr. Fitzgibbon’s departure is coming sooner than expected. He nevertheless hopes that the by-election will be called in the not too distant future.
With the collaboration of Tommy Chouinard, The Press