For the first time in a year and a half, the activists of Quebec solidaire (QS) met, Saturday, in a celebration that had everything pre-electoral, in Montreal. “See you tomorrow,” they said to each other. And tomorrow will be green, firmly believes the party.
It is to the sound of popular artists that gathered more than 400 activists and sympathizers, Saturday, in the small room of Gesù, in Montreal. The Parti Québécois once offered itself Gilles Vigneault and Paul Piché. QS was entitled to Klô Pelgag, undisputed queen of ADISQ – she had accumulated the Felixes at the gala earlier this month.
“In the history of Quebec, when art and politics met, it gave great things,” said the party’s co-spokesperson, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, on the sidelines of what he called of “reunions”.
Never had the left-wing party allowed itself an artistic and militant evening of this magnitude, launched at To have to party spokesperson Camila Rodriguez-Cea. “We notice that the more we advance, the less reluctant artists are to show off with Québec solidaire,” she noted. It shows that we are elsewhere. “
Since the start of its congress, Québec solidaire has wanted to establish itself as an alternative to François Legault’s Coalition d’avenir Québec. On Friday, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois had insisted that the general elections constitute an ideal opportunity for his party to “prepare to govern”.
During her speech to the activists on Saturday evening, her colleague at the head of the party, Manon Massé, found herself dreaming of “the first ecological government in the history of Quebec”.
“Just by coming here you send a message,” she told the activists. It sincerely gives us hope to win more battles. In particular, October 3, 2022. “
Pre-election year
Saturday, the solidarity activists had voted behind their screens on the main orientations of the party for the ballot of next year. “I can already make you a promise; it will be the greenest electoral platform in our history, ”Nadeau-Dubois said in the morning.
The turn is obvious: at the QS rally on Saturday evening, the posters in the tone of green mingled with the usual orange tones of the party. The slogans hung on the walls of the entrance hall did not deviate from the theme. “For an ecological revolution”, “for the future of our children”, “to put an end to the pipelines”. “Hey, that’s beautiful! »Exclaimed the co-spokesperson for solidarity in the hours preceding the show.
On Saturday, activists voted to raise the party’s greenhouse gas reduction targets to 55% in 2030 from 1990 levels. They supported a proposal to build a trans-electric rail transport network. Quebec and said no to the construction of pipelines.
The party has received harsh criticism from François Legault’s political entourage on Twitter. Press officers and senior government officials criticized proposals that were still unrealistic in their eyes.
“A question for QS. Does this minimum target of 55% by 2030 mean how many cars will be taken off the roads of Quebec? “, asked the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, Martin Koskinen.
“They want people to believe that the energy transition means attacking individuals. It is such a speech from another era, replied Mr. Nadeau-Dubois, in front of journalists, a few hours later. To see the ambition of Québec solidaire, I think it bothers them. “