(Montreal) The Member of Parliament for Rosemont, Vincent Marissal, announced that he supported the candidacy of Émilise Lessard-Therrien, who wants to recover from her defeat in the last election by becoming the next co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire (QS) .
Mr. Marissal does not hide that the defeat of Émilise Lessard-Therrien was “very hard” for his party. However, he does not take a dim view of having an extra-parliamentary co-spokesperson.
“Françoise David spent more time as co-spokesperson outside the National Assembly than in the National Assembly, and that did not prevent her, yes from working to get elected, but above all to work to grow the party”, defends Mr. Marissal.
If we are where we are today, it is certainly a lot, thanks to the work of Françoise David.
Vincent Marissal, MP for Québec solidaire
In addition, Mr. Marissal warns that he will not criticize the opponents of Mr.me Lessard-Therrien, emphasizing that these are women he loves, respects and who are his colleagues. “I’m not supporting someone, I’m supporting someone,” he says.
The member for Sherbrooke, Christine Labrie, already has four supporters within the solidarity caucus: Alexandre Leduc, Haroun Bouazzi, Étienne Grandmont and Guillaume Cliche-Rivard. As for her, the member for Mercier, Ruba Ghazal, received the support of the member for Jean-Lesage, Sol Zanetti.
The former MP for Rouyn-Noranda–Témiscamingue believes that having a co-spokesperson outside the National Assembly will allow Québec solidaire to reconnect with its essence of being a street political party.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Emilise Lessard-Therrien
“It will take a lot of time, to be extra-parliamentary, to stay really rooted in the field with social movements, argued Ms.me Lessard-Therrien. I see this as a great asset for us, for the party to really stay up to date on the ground, but also to bring a solidarity presence to all regions of Quebec between two elections. »
Émilise Lessard-Therrien, who has a degree in secondary education from the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), is focusing on the regions in her campaign.
She pointed out that in the last election, the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) swept through all regions of the province. According to her, the alternative to the caquistes is more or less obvious to voters. “I feel that this alternative is Québec solidaire and for that, the people of the regions will also have to recognize themselves in our discourse,” she admits.
This is also one of the reasons why Mr. Marissal supports his former colleague, whom he rubbed shoulders with for four years in the National Assembly. He praises his expertise in the regions, but also that his speech carries in the different territories and with young people.
Mme Lessard-Therrien recognizes that there is an interest in having a co-spokesperson in Montreal, but she believes that the roots that QS are “already very deep in town”.
“I think we now have to go and plant them in more rural territories, the more remote regions of Quebec which sometimes struggle to recognize themselves in the great public discourse on the various issues facing Quebec,” says the politician.
Émilise Lessard-Therrien says she is concerned about the different sectors of the territories, such as agriculture, forestry or mining, to name a few, since they often pass into the hands of large multinationals. She wants Quebec to meet her needs first.
In her campaign, she also wants to put forward the need for better access to health care in the regions and she does not leave the question of sovereignty aside. “It’s a way for the regions of Quebec to get both hands back on the wheel. The day when Quebec is going to be a country, it will give new levers to the regions of Quebec,” said Ms.me Lessard Therrien.
If Québec solidaire wants to govern Québec one day, it will have to seek support in the regions of Québec.
Émilise Lessard-Therrien, former MP for Québec solidaire
Among the other supports for Émilise Lessard-Therrien, there is the former solidarity candidate in Rimouski Carol-Ann Kack, as well as the mayor of Saint-Camille, Philippe Pagé, who was the QS candidate in the riding of Richmond.
Mme Lessard-Therrien pointed out that the race has not officially started and that it is already feeling a craze among activists and other former solidarity candidates.
The race to succeed Manon Massé will begin on August 25. The person who will succeed him will be elected during the national congress of the party which will take place next November. Mme Massé announced that she would remain a deputy.