Photo: Karoline Boucher The Canadian Press PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon speaking to his supporters Wednesday in Alma
François Carabin to Alma
January 18, 2024
- Quebec
To achieve its parity objectives, the Parti Québécois (PQ) wants to present as many women as possible in “containable counties” in the next elections.
This was assured by PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon on Thursday at a closing press conference at his party's pre-sessional caucus. The day before, he had affirmed that he would be “intractable” on issues of gender parity within his party.
“We have […] an internal criterion, where do we ask ourselves the question: “Do we have a male-female balance ?” he said. Asked about the possibility that the PQ would favor female candidates in “containable counties”, the elected official simply said: “Well yes! »
The Parti Québécois caucus is currently made up of four men. When the legislature was dissolved, before the 2022 general election, three of the PQ's seven deputies were women. The party's delegation was then in the parity zone, with 43% women, or 54 of the party's 125 candidates.
Prohibition
In November, Québec solidaire (QS) became the target of numerous criticism when it chose to ban men from running in possible by-elections in the coming months, while waiting to modify its internal statutes. Questioned on this subject, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon then stated: “This is not the position we have taken at the Parti Québécois. »
“The difference is important,” reiterated the leader of the PQ on Thursday. “Let’s take the example of a partial: that means that Québec solidaire cannot even assess whether the candidacy of a person, who is a man, can be eligible. It's simply forbidden. »
“In the case of the way we operate, no application is prohibited. However, we are going to juggle with the parity objective. Which means that if we choose a man in one place, we will have to think about choosing a woman in another place,” continued PSPP, who says he is ready to use his discretionary power to respect his commitments.
“There will be plenty of women who will be elected” in 2026, he said, looking at the PQ spokesperson and former member of Parliament for Gaspé, Méganne Perry Mélançon, who was at his side.
Unlike the three other parties represented in the National Assembly, QS systematically chooses its candidates on the basis of nomination races in each of Quebec's 125 constituencies. Last year, the party evaluated the possibility of deviating from these rules to nominate women in winnable constituencies. The revision of the party statutes will be an opportunity for the political party to adopt a long-term position.
In the months preceding the Jean-Talon by-election, which ended with a PQ victory, the senior leadership of QS had invited the members of the constituency to choose a female candidate. It was ultimately a man, Olivier Bolduc, who won the nomination and represented the party in the partial election.
QS's position on parity has since caused him to tear up his membership card.