With the election day coming next Monday, here are a few thoughts on the candidates vying for your vote.
Incumbent Quebec Liberal MNA André Fortin, originally from Quyon, has represented Pontiac since 2014. As a result, he really needs no introduction. He’s a known quantity, which largely works in his favour.
Fortin has spent much of the campaign speaking about local issues at a level of detail that no other candidate for the seat can match, whether it be references to local businesses, personal relationships with local leaders or issues ranging from busing in Otter Lake to staff shortages at the Pontiac Hospital. There are also several stories about Fortin personally intervening on behalf of constituents to resolve problems, which has made him a popular figure. He’s spoken forcefully against legislation like Bill 96 and has a clearly articulated vision for the Pontiac.
As a local representative, it’s hard to say that Fortin hasn’t done his job. He has made it a priority to stay connected to what is going on locally and ensure he speaks frequently to his constituents and to local media.
Unlike the other candidates, Fortin has an electoral record, which can also be a liability. The Quebec Liberal Party (QLP) has represented the Pontiac since 1970 and was the governing party as recently as 2018. This means that the QLP holds some degree of responsibility for the current state affairs across Quebec and in the Pontiac, for better and for worse. Of particular concern were decisions about Quebec’s healthcare system, centralized by the Liberal government during Philippe Couillard’s premiership, and chronically under-funded before, during and since. The QLP has also been more supportive of Quebec nationalism that underpin bills like Bill 96 and Bill 21 than its current positions seem to suggest.
How much responsibility Fortin should bear for the QLP’s baggage is up to voters. While it’s more likely than not that Fortin will hold on to his seat, how much of the rest of the province the QLP will hold onto is less certain. The future of the party itself is somewhat bleak in the short term, though if Fortin is reelected he will be in a good position to play a significant role in rebuilding it. Time will tell.
Next up is Corinne Canuel-Jolicoeur for the CAQ. Canuel-Jolicoeur is clearly running to win and is far more than a placeholder candidate. She has a good grasp on the issues and is an effective communicator.
Canuel-Jolicoeur has been given the somewhat unenviable task of being the standard bearer for what the CAQ has done over the last four years. On the positive side, this includes lauding efforts to build out rural broadband which, to be fair, does seem like it has been the best effort of all the provinces, as well as taking credit for all the money spent by the province over the last four years. But it also means defending CAQ’s responses to the current state of the healthcare.
It’s easy to imagine some Pontiacers voting for Canuel-Jolicoeur out of a sense of pragmatism on the assumption that the CAQ is going to win again, and therefore at least the Pontiac can have a seat at the table.
But in principle, voting for the CAQ may be hard to stomach, especially for the region’s anglophones. Canuel-Jolicoeur’s repeated statements that Bill 96 will not affect anglophones at all flies in the face of reality. This is added to by the contempt the CAQ has shown for the province’s anglophone community over the course of the campaign. No debating in English, no updating the CAQ’s website in English and no olive branches in the form of policy to sooth anglophone fears. It’s also a campaign that is very centrally controlled and could have been a lot more open to the media.
Whether or not this kind of behaviour should be rewarded is up to Pontiac voters. Canuel-Jolicoeur at least stands a chance of winning the riding and therefore her candidacy should not be taken lightly.
The CAQ will likely return to government as it seems to have welded together the support of a broad enough coalition of Quebec society. As for how long it will be able to keep that up, and what party will ultimately be in a position to challenge it is anyone’s guess.
The third candidate is Terrance Watters of the Conservative Party of Quebec (CPQ). CPQ has clearly been riding a wave of popularity due to its opposition to COVID-19 restrictions, which have clearly been very unpopular with a certain segment of the population. This stance has taken the CPQ only so far, though, especially now that governments of all stripes have moved on from attempts to contain the virus.
CPQ’s stated opposition to Bill 96 and support for conservative economics will also pull a degree of support around the Pontiac. While its advocacy for privatizing healthcare may concern a lot of people, the CPQ deserves credit for at least running on this position and allowing some kind of public debate on the issue. Policy proposals outside the regular political orthodoxy can be healthy for democracy, especially when they give voters a chance to think them through.
Watters himself is an active campaigner and available to the media, though sometimes his answers to questions were short on detail.
The CPQ stands to do quite well in the province as a whole on October 3, compared to previous years, at least in the popular vote. While Watters pulling off an upset in the Pontiac isn’t impossible, it is rather unlikely. Support for the CPQ will likely come, at least in part, at the cost of support for the QLP so, win or lose, the party has the potential to have a significant impact.
The fourth candidate up for discussion is Mike Owen Sebagenzi of Québec solidaire (QS).
While young, Sebagenzi clearly brings a lot to the table. Like the CPQ, QS policy proposals will prove very attractive to a certain part of the population, albeit a very different one than the CPQ. While support in the Pontiac for democratic socialism, Bill 96 and sovereignty is likely too low for the QS to have a chance of winning here, much of the ideas QS has proposed during its campaign should be taken seriously. As a party, QS makes one of the stronger arguments against the economic status quo that is leaving a lot of people behind, and also offers one of the more serious approaches to combating climate change.
Sebagenzi actively and passionately advocates for his party’s policies. Overall, he should be commended for choosing to participate in the election despite QS’s low chances of winning here.
The QS seems like it will continue to be a force in the province, though it still seems a ways away from breaking out of its low seat count and contesting for power.
Next up is Jolaine Paradis-Châteauneuf of the Parti Québécois (PQ).
While the PQ’s separatist and hardline Quebec nationalist leanings will likely be a nonstarter in the Pontiac, Paradis-Châteauneuf should be commended for entering the race given her professional background as a social worker. Having people in politics who represent a diverse range of backgrounds is important.
She has shown herself to be accessible to the media and willing to try to appeal for everyone’s vote. The PQ has a comprehensive set of policies, and to its credit, is at least a little more honest and straightforward in their objectives than the CAQ.
Given the PQ’s historical performance in the riding and the current Quebec-wide state of the party, it’s unlikely that it will have a major impact on the election in the Pontiac. The future of the PQ itself seems to hang in the balance and it is in danger of having its base entirely split between the CAQ and QS. Like the QLP, the PQ’s future is uncertain.
The sixth candidate is Will Twolan of the Canadian Party of Quebec (CaPQ). While the young party has a young candidate, the amount of detailed policy proposals offered is impressive. Twolan himself is clearly engaged in the election and is playing to win.
Despite its claims, CaPQ is, in reality, largely an anglophone party and therefore has a built-in cap on how far it can realistically go. While pushing for a total repeal of Bills 96 and 21 and making Quebec officially bilingual appeals to segments of Quebec society, it is a David and Goliath fight when up against the emboldened national sentiment that forms the political base of CAQ and other parties.
Regardless, CaPQ’s defence of minority rights should be commended, however daunting the challenge. And who knows how much impact the CaPQ hardline stance on Bill 96 has had in ensuring the QLPis as vocal in its criticism as it is now.
While the prospects of the CaPQ winning any seats are very slim, who knows what the future of the party will be though given the shift we are seeing in Quebec’s politics.
And last, but not least, is Pierre Cyr of the Green Party of Quebec. Cyr offered a detailed set of policy proposals and delivered them with an amiable approach that you rarely see from a politician. He is also very straightforward and honest about his positions and his prospects.
Cyr serves as good advertisement for the policy he advocates most, proportional representation. As he consistently points out, he has almost no chance of winning under our first-past-the-post electoral rules. The fact that he is running anyway speaks well of his motives. He clearly is someone who cares a lot about making democracy work. Despite the recent ravages of climate change from Pakistan to Port-aux-Basques, the GPQ has a steep hill to climb and it’s hard to see them having a dramatic impact on this election.
It’s a shame that despite all seven candidates having something to offer the Pontiac, only one of them can win. Whoever wins on Oct. 3, many voters are bound to feel unrepresented. In a fairer system, we could have a more cooperative system that ensures different voices are heard in the National Assembly.
Overall, Pontiac voters are at least spoiled for choices, so remember to vote and encourage others to do likewise. The only thing THE EQUITY endorses is being informed and voting for the candidate who best represents your values.
Brett Thoms
