The Parti Québécois presented its candidate on Friday in Montreal for the by-election in Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne on March 13. Andréanne Fiola, who was defeated in Laval-des-Rapides on October 3, will try to win the Montreal riding that has been vacant since the departure of Dominique Anglade.
The 23-year-old is trying her luck once again by having climate issues and independence as a priority. “The message I want to send to the voters of Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne is that together we can build a greener, fairer and freer Quebec,” said the holder of a bachelor’s degree in environment from the University of Sherbrooke.
The constituency has been vacant since 1er last December, the day of the departure of the former liberal leader Dominique Anglade. The latter has represented the citizens of Southwest Montreal since 2015.
Ms. Fiola tried unsuccessfully to be elected in the municipal elections of 2017 and 2021, then in the provincial ballot in 2022. PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon had reiterated his “full support” during the last election campaign, after a local Laval media had reported that she had acted in a pornographic film in the past.
On October 3, Andréanne Fiola finished fourth in Laval-des-Rapides, with 12.92% of the vote. The caquiste Céline Haytayan had won the victory against the outgoing Liberal MP Saul Polo.
This time, Ms. Fiola will face the solidarity candidate Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, who finished second in Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne in the last election. The PQ had finished fourth with 8.27% of the vote. In addition to the immigration lawyer, she will face social entrepreneur Christopher Baenninger. The latter was defeated in Sainte-Marie-Saint-Jacques on October 3, 2022.
The president of the Commission for the future of the Coalition avenir Québec, Victor Pelletier, will also be in the race. The Conservative Party of Quebec should present its candidate shortly.
Apart from the environment and independence, Andréanne Fiola is campaigning for a reform of the voting system. She launched a petition to this effect last fall, because of the electoral results illustrating a disparity between the percentage obtained by popular vote and the number of elected.
For example, the Liberal Party of Quebec had 21 members elected, but obtained only 14.37% by universal suffrage. The Parti Québécois won 15.43% of the vote, but only 3 seats in the National Assembly.
With The Canadian Press
Further details will follow.