(Montreal) The Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) has welcomed new members to its executive, in an effort to “professionalize” training for the convention to be held in the fall.
Following a meeting held Sunday in Drummondville between the party leader and the National Executive Office, Éric Duhaime presented his recruits. Louise Soucy, who has been a manager in various organizations, will bear the title of executive director.
“I can’t wait to professionalize this organization and supervise the various bodies. My objective is obvious, it is to ensure that the steps are taken to win the general election of 2026, ”she said in a press release.
Olivier Dumais, former Conservative candidate in the riding of Beauce-Nord and mayor of Saint-Lambert-De-Lauzon, will take on a new role as chairman of the party’s organizing committee.
The Dr Karim Elayoubi, who had tried his luck in Argenteuil, will become chairman of the political commission, and the former Conservative candidate in the riding of Vanier-Les-Rivières, Donald Gagnon, will officially occupy the presidency of the party.
“There is a new team, a new dynamism, and I am very happy with the arrival of new major players. This is one of the first steps to improve internal functioning and democracy,” Duhaime said.
Five big themes for 2023
In addition to the additions to its membership, the Conservative Party also defined during the meeting the five major themes which, according to its leader, “will mark the road to the convention”.
Democratic reform, natural resources and Quebec’s energy policy, inflation and public finances, health and Quebec’s autonomy within the Canadian Confederation are the five pillars that will guide the party’s discussions ahead of the convention.
Seminars will also be held during the year to determine the position of the conservative formation and its members on these issues, indicated a press release released Sunday afternoon.
Health, especially the situation in Quebec’s emergency rooms, is an “ultra important” issue, said Éric Duhaime, who intends to formally present the party’s solutions towards the end of the week.
The question of political reform is also at the heart of the concerns of the Conservatives, who, according to its leader, have been victims of “the worst democratic distortion in the history of Quebec”.
“The former president of the National Assembly, Jean-Pierre Charbonneau, came to our last general council. We want to hold an event on democratic reform, parliamentary reform and the voting system: these are issues that concern us,” added Mr. Duhaime.
Get closer to people
In addition to organizing various events centered on its five pillars, Éric Duhaime also intends to continue his tour of the regions that began the day after the elections. He claims to have visited just over 40 constituencies so far.
“Often, the parties are very centralized and focused on work in the National Assembly. Since we are not there, we have more time to go out on the ground and get closer to the world, a fundamental job in politics, ”he explained.
The Conservative leader will be in the Gaspé for three days starting Monday, where he will meet with mayors, prefects, organizations and party activists from various ridings.
He also said he wanted to keep in regular contact with Prime Minister François Legault, who met a few days ago to discuss the energy issue.
“The reason for inviting the Prime Minister to his offices this week is energy. The whole energy question, the question of our natural resources and the potential lack of electricity in Quebec. […] During the meeting, he told me that there would be others. He spoke perhaps every three months, but he did not give dates, ”said Mr. Duhaime.
At his next meeting with the prime minister, the leader says he wants to discuss inflation, which he says is on the way to becoming “the number one issue”.
“People may have had a cushion during the pandemic, but now the cushion is gone. […] We prefer the state to tighten its belt rather than Quebecers, and we want the government to reduce its spending to give the maximum amount of money to the taxpayers’ wallets, “said the Conservative leader, adding that his party risked losing money. be the only one to offer a different and sustainable solution.
This article was produced with the financial support of the Meta Fellowships and The Canadian Press for News.