The candidate of the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) in Argenteuil, Karim Elayoubi, recognized on Friday the need for vaccination campaigns, while recalling the importance of “free choice” advocated by his political party.
“As a doctor, I encouraged the population to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Elayoubi, during a press briefing held in front of the Lachute hospital in the Laurentians. The conservative caravan was in the region to present its health plan, which advocates an opening to the private sector. The family doctor says he believes “in the intelligence of Quebecers”, but that the vaccination campaign was necessary.
In recent days, Conservative leader Éric Duhaime has delivered several speeches criticizing “the devastating impact” that health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic had on children. He also suggested that if the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) was re-elected, wearing a face covering could once again become compulsory in schools. François Legault had said in mid-August that there was no question of bringing health measures back to September.
Asked whether mandatory health measures were necessary to preserve the health system, Karim Elayoubi answered in the affirmative. “We never said it takes zero measures,” he argued, under a scorching sun.
However, the PCQ would have had “a much less coercive attitude”, argued the family doctor. “When we talk about a curfew with an alert […]was there any evidence [que ça fonctionnait] compared to that? Unfortunately, the government did not release them to us. »
A call for calm… also for the conservatives
During his speech, Éric Duhaime returned to the issue of security by calling for calm “supporters of all parties, including the conservatives”. On Thursday, Liberal candidate Marwah Rizqy criticized the Conservative leader for harming democratic debate by wanting to “bring discontent” into the National Assembly.
“My adversaries will not make me look like a scapegoat,” Duhaime said confidently. According to him, the electoral campaign represents a “privileged moment” to express his discontent in a peaceful way, by going to vote.
On Friday, the PCQ is campaigning in the Laurentians. In Argenteuil, the outgoing CAQ MP, Agnès Grondin, would be the favorite with 51% of the voting intentions, according to projections from the Qc125 site.
Never mind, Éric Duhaime is continuing his “450” assault. “Remember the wave of the Action Démocratique du Québec in 2007, which performed very well in the 450,” Mr. Duhaime argued last Sunday. The latter was an AD candidate in the Quebec elections in 2003, in the riding of Deux-Montagnes, in the Laurentians.
More details will follow.