CALEB NICKERSON
PONTIAC Sept. 4, 2019
With the federal election fast approaching this October, there are now six candidates vying for a seat in the . . .
Pontiac riding, the latest being Jonathan Carreiro-Benoit of the Bloc Quebecois (BQ).
The young student currently resides in Cantley, and is studying history at the University of Laval. He previously ran in last year’s provincial elections in the riding of Gatineau, finishing fourth with nine per cent of the vote.
An avowed sovereignist, Carreiro-Benoit believes that Quebec is better off as an independent nation, and blamed the federal government for the economic state of the region.
“For me of course, it’s to prove the federal level of government is not good enough for us in Outaouais,” he said, referring to why he chose to run. “We are one of the poorest regions in Canada because of federal negligence.”
He was critical of the federal government’s handling of several files, from the purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline to concessions in the newly negotiated trade deal with the US and Mexico. He said an independent Quebec would be a better champion for supply-managed industries such as dairy.
“It’s not normal for a small to medium enterprise to be in this position of insecurity,” he said, of the region’s dairy farms.
When asked how a single province would be able to negotiate as effectively on an international level as an entire country, he said negotiating a separate deal for Quebec would be more “efficient”.
He was also supportive of the growing separatist sentiment in Alberta.
“I think it’s a pretty good idea, I think it’s pretty good for all of us because with this point, we can prove it’s not just Quebec that needs its independence, it’s everyone,” he said.
He said that while there might not be as strong a will for Quebec independance in bilingual border regions like the Outaouais as there is in places like Gaspésie or south of Montreal, he remains undaunted.
“It’s not about English or French, it’s about us. I want to prove my point to you, that I still believe in the independence of Quebec for me, you and everyone,” he said, asking for constituents to hear him out. “Give me a chance, hear what I want to say and just let me prove my point.”
Carreiro-Benoit added that the BQ would move to implement many of the recommendations from the recently concluded inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
“We are in agreement with some of the 231 recommendations of this report like the eventual abolition of the Indian Act and the implementation of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People,” he said.
With the election scheduled to take place no later than Oct. 21, Carreiro-Benoit said that he would be making the rounds of the riding and planned on attending events like the Shawville Fair.
