Quebec Liberals willing to let new PQ leader run unopposed in byelection

Quebec Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade says she is willing to let Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon run unopposed in the riding of Marie-Victorin, on Montreal's South Shore.

Plamondon was elected leader of the PQ in October 2020 but, since he does not hold a seat in the National Assembly, he cannot participate in Question Period or any legislature debates. The next provincial election is expected on Oct. 3, 2022.

Marie-Victorin will be vacant in a matter of days as the current MNA, Independent Catherine Fournier, was elected mayor of Longueuil Sunday.

Fournier was first elected provincially in the riding by a narrow margin in 2016 as a Parti Québécois MNA.

However, she left the PQ in 2019 saying she felt the party was moving too slowly toward its goal of Quebec independence. That same year, she won re-election as an Independent MNA, breaking the hold the PQ had held on the riding since 1985.

With Fournier moving on to Longueuil city hall, a byelection must be held within six months.

Anglade says the Liberals will let St-Pierre Plamondon run unopposed — but only if the Coalition Avenir Québec party and Québec Solidaire agree to do the same.

"It's something that has been done in the past, for Robert Bourassa," Anglade told Radio-Canada. "It's been done several times to allow opposition leaders to enter the National Assembly."

"We are willing but it requires agreement from all the parties — and I encourage Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to run," Anglade said.

However, on Tuesday, Québec Solidaire announced its plans to run a candidate in the riding, while the CAQ said it wanted confirmation from St-Pierre Plamondon that he intends to run in Marie-Victorin before making any decision about opposing him.