Four by-elections will be held for Quebec voters Monday for the ridings of Fabre in Laval, Rene-Levesque, Beauce-Sud, and St-Henri-Ste-Anne.
In 2014, the Liberals won the Fabre seat by almost 13,000 votes, but opposition parties say many voters are upset over reduced government spending in education and health care.
Liberal candidate Monique Sauve, who has spent 20 years working to fight youth unemployment in Laval, said she’s ready for a new job in the National Assembly.
“I want to do my part. I want to contribute. I'm somebody who can listen; I'm somebody who can be in action and solutions,” she said.
The western Laval riding has been Liberal since 2003, but Parti Quebecois candidate Jibril Akaaboune Le Francois said Fabre has PQ heritage as well. It was once the seat of former premier Bernard Landry.
The PQ candidate points to growing public displeasure with the Liberal government over reduced funding to education and fewer services for special needs students.
“We know that education is the best way to level up our society and by the same time the economy,” he said.
CAQ candidate Carla El-Ghandour is a teacher and said the Liberal plan is hurting students.
“I'm against these cuts, especially with the services for students,” she said.
Quebec solidaire candidate Charles Lemieux, a 20-year-old university student, is also against the cuts. Lemieux said the public is growing weary of Liberal austerity measures.
“I think the people in Fabre want to see some real change and I think the PQ and the Liberals can't bring that,” he said.
By-election polls are open Monday between 9:30 a.m. and 8 p.m.
One of the biggest challenges for the candidates in Fabre will be voter turnout – only 5.4 per cent of registered voters in the riding cast ballots in the advanced polls.
