Maude Marquis-Bissonnette becomes head of Action Gatineau again

Photo: Lise Denis Le Devoir New leader Maude Marquis-Bissonnette spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon.

Two and a half years after her defeat against France Bélisle, Maude Marquis-Bissonnette once again becomes leader of Action Gatineau and will represent the party in the by-elections on June 9.

The former Plateau district councilor is the “only candidate to have fulfilled the conditions, as established by the party”, we can read in a press release sent Wednesday morning. “De facto, the election president declares Maude Marquis-Bissonnette head of Action Gatineau, elected by acclamation. »

Ms. Marquis-Bissonnette lost in 2021 to France Bélisle, winning 38% of the votes, compared to 43% for her rival. After her defeat, she left the party leadership, then became an assistant professor in municipal management at the National School of Public Administration, on the Gatineau campus.

If she is elected, Ms. Marquis-Bissonnette will continue during her sixteen-month mandate the files already in progress of the municipal council, while adding her “color”. In the event of a victory, she will also intend to run in the next elections, in 2025.

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• Gatineau Mayor France Bélisle resigns
• Gatineau will elect its new mayor on June 9
• Former councilor Audrey Bureau is eyeing Gatineau town hall

Among her priorities, the candidate cites housing, the revitalization of the city center and “the climate emergency”, which “must become the analytical prism through which we make our decisions”. In front of the media on Wednesday afternoon, she also said she wanted to “be the tram warrior”, a project that she considers “absolutely essential”.

The one who has “never stopped thinking about the future of her city” responds to citizens who find that “it doesn’t seem easy to be mayor” that she “ know[s] what [she’s] getting into.” “I want to focus on dialogue, consensus,” she adds.

Not yet elected but officially leader, Ms. Marquis-Bissonnette will now participate in most of the party's caucuses, but will have to be absent from those held behind closed doors.

This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.

Candidates having confirmed their candidacy for the by-elections

• The owner of Top Karting, Jacques Bélanger
• Former president of the Gatineau Chamber of Commerce Stéphane Bisson
• The former communications director of France Bélisle, Daniel Feeny
• The municipal councilor of the Carrefour-de-l’Hôpital district, Olive Kamanyana
• The head of Action Gatineau, Maude Marquis-Bissonnette
• Former People’s Party of Canada candidate Mathieu Saint-Jean