Canada

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

NDP to run in Quebec election -- next time

By: Andy Blatchford

Posted: 08/18/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Enlarge Image

Graham Hughes / THE CANADIAN PRESS Tom Mulcair speaks at the official opening of Jack Layton Park in Hudson, Que. (CP)

Related Items

Articles
- Quebec party leaders prepare to square off as campaign hits halfway mark

MONTREAL -- Tom Mulcair says Quebecers will get a chance to vote New Democrat in the province's next election as the federal party looks to capitalize on last year's electoral breakthrough.

The NDP leader said the party was too busy to create a Quebec version in time for the current election campaign, which will send Quebecers to the polls on Sept. 4.

But Mulcair indicated Friday the NDP is planning to build a provincial cousin before the next election.

The creation, he believes, would add a missing component to the province's political playing field: a left-leaning, federalist voice.

The province's two major federalist parties -- the Liberals and the Coalition for Quebec's Future -- are both considered right-of-centre.

"We think there's a place for us on Quebec's chessboard," Mulcair said following a speech to hundreds of university students in Montreal.

"There will be a provincial NDP, but for the next election."

The former Quebec cabinet minister said the NDP currently runs candidates in all provinces and territories. Soon, the party plans to have hopefuls in each of Quebec's 125 ridings.

The NDP's national president, Chantal Vallerand, reserved the name "Nouveau parti démocratique du Québec" in June with the province's electoral authority. The party has not yet registered a provincial NDP.

The federal New Democrats made historic strides in Quebec in the 2011 federal election. They now hold 58 of the province's 75 seats after nearly sweeping the sovereigntist Bloc Québécois completely off the map.

Mulcair said the party's growing presence in Quebec, which brings improved structural and financial support, encouraged the NDP to enter the provincial political ring. The timing just wasn't right during the last year, he said.

The co-leader of the left-wing Québec solidaire questioned why Mulcair would launch such a "hypothesis" in the middle of Quebec's election campaign.

Amir Khadir, the only person his sovereigntist party has ever had elected to the provincial legislature, told The Canadian Press Mulcair should instead be focused on the more important tasks at hand.

Khadir said Mulcair must concentrate on carrying out the federal NDP's job "to defend Quebec from decisions made by Harper's right-wing, monarchist government that collides, at all levels, with the aspirations of Quebecois society."

He then added: "The Quebecers who voted for the NDP in a large majority did it to block the Harper government -- not to bring an NDP to Quebec."

-- The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 18, 2012 A20

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Canada

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.