After a fall when he was less present in the media, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois is preparing for the imminent return to parliament by tackling head-on the issue of reviving Québec solidaire (QS). If he failed to establish himself as the alternative to the government of François Legault, the parliamentary leader of the party is self-critical.
In interview with The Press at the café Paquebot, in the heart of the La Petite-Patrie district, where he lives in Montreal, Mr. Nadeau-Dubois draws up an honest assessment of the results of his political party, whose popular support has decreased by 16.1% to 15.4% between the 2018 and 2022 elections.
“Personally, I think I have the image of someone who doesn’t question himself, but sometimes the images are very far from reality. I was less present in the fall because I engaged in an exercise in reflection and self-criticism. I put a lot of pressure on myself,” he said, hammering that he “does not take the results of October 3 lightly.”
On February 11 and 12, the members of the party will also meet in a national council to take stock of the last electoral sprint. Despite the deployment of considerable means to carry out the most important campaign in the history of the party, the Solidaires have only two new deputies in Quebec: Haroun Bouazzi and Alejandra Zaga Mendez, both in Montreal. The defeat of Émilise Lessard-Therrien in Abitibi-Témiscamingue shakes them up again.
One thing I hear a lot is one day it will be your turn. As if people thought that I had potential, that they appreciated the work that QS had done in opposition, but that they were still hesitant to vote for us.
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire
“Me, it is to this reflection that I invite the members of the party during our national council. How to demonstrate that we are not only good at chasing François Legault, but that we are ready to replace him, ”he continues.
Focus on the regions
The first project he wants to undertake is a conquest of the regions. QS has had some good results in urban centers outside of Montreal and Quebec City, but the party still can’t take root in rural areas, says Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
“I spent the Holidays in Thetford Mines with my family and went to Tim Hortons en masse. I felt respect for the work that Québec solidaire does. But between the respect and the confidence that we are capable of governing, there is a step to take. We still have things to prove,” he said.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire
Solidaires must continue to challenge young voters, a segment of the electorate that is already inclined to listen to their ideas, but they must also be more interested than ever in the issues that affect other generations, says Mr. Nadeau-Dubois.
“I had given myself the personal mission of creating an intergenerational alliance, but I did not succeed. That, for me, is essential for Québec solidaire. If we want to move forward, if we want to govern Quebec, we will have to connect with other voters, [en plus des] young people,” he continues.
Get rid of “orange taxes”
More than three months since the landslide victory of the Coalition avenir Québec, the parliamentary leader of QS looks back on an episode that marked the last election campaign: the label of “orange taxes” stuck to him by François Legault, when he struggled to explain its economic platform.
The more complicated a position, the easier it is to attack. Several of our economic and fiscal proposals were too complex. It served us. I take my share of responsibility in this, especially since we were facing an opponent whose proposals were extraordinarily simple.
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire
QS’s proposal to tax the “ultra-rich” more, that is to say Quebecers who have net assets of more than 1 million, caused a stir last fall.
“What I want to say to these people is that we have heard them. We will do the job we have to do. We will come back in 2026 with new proposals, ”he said, specifying that the next solidarity promises will always aim for a greater redistribution of wealth.
By-election
For the next parliamentary session, which will begin on January 31 in Quebec, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois promises to put his team at the forefront. Behind the scenes, he will work actively to organize the next by-election in the riding of Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne, in Montreal, whose seat has been vacant since the resignation of former Liberal leader Dominique Anglade.
“I don’t want Québec solidaire to cap, but yes, that’s the risk right now. The risk of the ceiling, I see it, and I don’t want it to happen, ”he says.
“Strictness and relevance don’t always kill the headlines in the short term, but over time, it appears and it lays the foundations for the credibility we need at Québec solidaire. Me, it will be one of my priorities this winter, ”he concludes.