Even if “things are still a bit brewing at Québec solidaire”, 2023 in no way constitutes a annus horribilis for the party, assures its co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
“It’s true that there have been ups and downs, but I think our session is defined by one term: resilience,” he said on Friday, taking stock of the parliamentary session alongside of his deputies and his new co-spokesperson, Émilise Lessard-Therrien.
The solidarity elected official is aware of the difficulties his political party faced this year. In the polls, the party has not exceeded the threshold of 17% of voting intentions for more than twelve months, and in the electoral field, it failed to improve its score in the Jean-Talon partial. Internally, the book by his ex-colleague Catherine Dorion caused a lot of ink to flow in the weeks preceding the solidarity congress.
Even in parliament, “there was turbulence,” agreed Mr. Nadeau-Dubois at the end of a week during which his parliamentary leader, Alexandre Leduc, launched insults at Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette in the middle of the Salon bleu.
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But is this the worst year of “GND’s” career as QS co-spokesperson? “No, no,” he replied Friday. “There were two years of pandemic which were quite a bit harder than the year we just experienced. »
” I mean, [cette année], we have Manon Massé who has had two heart operations, we have Vincent Marissal who had his hips replaced, we have Andrés Fontecilla who has COVID, who is at home today. I mean, there was some turbulence there,” he added. “But despite all that, we stayed the course, we remained fixed on our priorities. »
According to Mr. Nadeau-Dubois, QS emerged “stronger” from the conference at the end of November, which saw Émilise Lessard-Therrien obtain the support of activists as new co-spokesperson. “This is the story of Québec solidaire for 18 years, resilience,” he said.
And even if another sovereignist party, the Parti Québécois, stands out in the polls, QS stays the course.
“If Québec solidaire had not been there, would we be talking so much about the housing crisis? Would we talk as much about the one in three Quebecers who go to food banks? We are not here to rise in the polls, we are here to defend the world,” said Mr. Nadeau-Dubois, who also recalled the victory in March of Guillaume Cliche-Rivard in Saint-Henri — Sainte- Anne.
The elected official recalled that there are three years until the next general election. “We have plenty of time to think about what we need to do to come back stronger in 2026.”
Further details will follow.