Solidarity in Quebec | Ruba Ghazal wants to woo suburbs and private sector workers

(Quebec) If it wants to continue to progress, Québec solidaire (QS) must court people from the suburbs and workers in the private sector, believes candidate for spokesperson Ruba Ghazal.

The party’s results in the last general election were disappointing, and QS failed to increase its support during the by-election held last Monday in Jean-Talon, in Quebec.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Ruba Ghazal affirms that fundamental work remains to be done, not only in the regions, but in the suburbs, places neglected for too long by his party.

This is precisely where a majority of factory workers in the private sector live, she illustrates. The 45-year-old candidate herself comes from this environment, she argues that she is best placed to court them.

“I have 15 years of experience as a manager […] in manufacturing plants in the suburbs of Montreal. […] These people […] don’t want us to disrupt their businesses too much,” she says she has observed.

“What these workers perceive, especially if they work in polluting industries, is that we are going to make them lose their jobs, […] that we are going to attack their suburban lifestyle. »

M^me Ghazal, who grew up in Laval, assures that this is not the intention. She also thinks she has the profile to “connect” with those who are downright “afraid” of her party or who find it “too ideal”.

Her opponents in the race, Christine Labrie and Émilise Lessard-Therrien, are associated respectively with the city (Sherbrooke) and rurality (Abitibi-Témiscamingue).

Suburbanites also want “a healthy environment, clean air for their children, going into nature” and public transport, underlines Ruba Ghazal who thinks she has found ways of bringing things together.

She takes the example of the shared car service Communauto. “The government can ensure that there are all kinds of transport […] like that, people could have one less car,” she illustrates.

QS is not just “metros and trams,” she says.

During the last electoral campaign, the party notably proposed taxing polluting vehicles, which attracted an avalanche of criticism. He has since said he would revisit the proposal.

QS had lost percentage points in 45 rural or suburban ridings.

Furthermore, M^me Ghazal — whose slogan is “For a national spokesperson” — proposes to get rid of the label of “youth party” and reach out to generation X, that is to say those aged 35 to 55 .

“In less than five years, I will be 50 years old. […] There is potential to go after them a little more. They live in the suburbs, they work in companies like the one where I worked,” she emphasized.

Despite failing to make significant gains in 2022, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois — “the best speaker of his generation” — remains the ideal person with whom to do this in-depth work, according to her.

Ahead ?

The member for Mercier, who also says she places sovereignty at the heart of her political action, recalls that she is the only candidate to have published a formal platform.

On the other hand, La Presse Canadienne reported last week that M^me Labrie was the first to submit her candidacy file, with 500 signatures collected in six regions and 20 constituencies.

“I find it very motivating to have managed to collect signatures so quickly,” rejoiced M^me Labrie. Is the Ghazal camp lagging behind in the race? “Not at all,” replies M^me Ghazal.

“I started taking stock and there are a lot of people who are still hesitant. […] People tell us: “Ah, if we could clone all three of you and make one, we would be very happy,” she says.

A first national debate between the candidates is scheduled for October 29, in Trois-Rivières.

The female spokesperson for QS will be elected at the party’s convention, which will take place from November 24 to 26, in Gatineau. She will replace Manon Massé, who recently underwent heart surgery.

The vote will be done through delegates from different solidarity associations.