Could Québec Solidaire be facing its first leadership crunch?
The party has no leader, but two spokespeople, and only one can be premier
Québec Solidaire, the province's small left-leaning political party, could soon find itself at a crossroads as it heads into an election year.
For more than a decade, the party has shirked the idea of having a conventional leader, opting instead for two co-spokespeople, one man and one woman.
But only one person can take part in the traditional leaders debate, just as only one person can become premier.
And both the party's new spokespeople — Manon Massé and Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois — have expressed interest in the premier's job if QS wins the 2018 election.
Nadeau-Dubois, the charismatic former student leader who joined the party earlier this year, signaled his interest in June.
Massé, who has been active in the party for more than a decade and was first elected in 2014, told Radio-Canada this weekend she too would be keen on serving as premier.
"From the moment I accepted to be the female spokesperson for Québec Solidaire, she said. "Being eventually called to fulfil the role of premier was something that immediately came to mind."
QS has never held more than three seats in the National Assembly.
A decision, but perhaps not a race
The previous leadership tandem avoided this potential conflict. Françoise David was the public face of the party during elections, and the one who would have become premier had it secured enough seats.
Though fellow spokesperson Amir Khadir did not contest David's position, the decision was nevertheless ratified by party members.
However, the party has no formal process for deciding which spokesperson would take the helm of a QS government.
Whereas other parties would normally resolve this question in a leadership race, QS officials say that may not be necessary.
The modalities of who will represent the party in the next election are still being worked out, said the party's press secretary Stéphanie Guévremont.
"It [the discussion] is not completely finished," Guévremont said. "No matter the process, the members will decide on the choice."
The issue was discussed at the party's caucus retreat in the Eastern Townships over the weekend. At the retreat both candidates downplayed talk of a leadership competition.
"I think Gabriel would be an excellent premier if we are going that way. I think I would be an excellent premier, myself. Now, give us time," said Massé, noting the election is still 13 months away.
Nadeau-Dubois, for his part, stressed the two are consulting with each other about the issue.
"Manon and I, we have spoken often. We are still thinking about it," he said. "There is no race being announced. There is no rivalry between Manon and me."
Long-term leadership
With only three sitting members in the National Assembly, the party has significant ground to gain before choosing a premier becomes a real possibility.
However, even a more modest gain might encourage the party to adopt a traditional leadership structure.
At the moment, all three of QS's elected members sit as simple independent MNAs. National Assembly rules only recognize a leader of the Opposition and a Leader of the Second Opposition Group.
Those positions come with salary top-ups of between $32,839 and $70,370.
With files from Radio-Canada's Hugo Lavallée