Quebec Liberals announce new candidate for NDG as Kathleen Weil steps down
The Quebec Liberal Party has announced a new candidate in the Montreal riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce for the upcoming fall election.
Désirée McGraw will replace Kathleen Weil, who will not seek re-election after serving 14 years in the National Assembly. Weil held cabinet positions both as immigration minister and justice minister during her tenure with the Liberals.
McGraw has a background in philanthropy, public policy and sustainable development.
Weil is now the 13th candidate who has announced they will not seek re-election in the Oct. 3 election. Among them are veterans Paul Arcand, Christine St-Pierre, Lise Thériault, Hélène David and Gaétan Barrette. Former finance minister Carlos Leitao said Saturday that he did not want to run again.
Struggling to garner support for the Liberals outside Montreal, Anglade said she was "convinced" that it was still possible to find a political option that could bring together both francophones and anglophones in Quebec.
"François Legault is trying to divide and conquer," she said. "When you look at Quebecers, generally speaking, we all want to be in favour of promoting and protecting the French language."
Raised in the community, McGraw is a resident of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and said she felt it was important to step up now as a candidate during a rebuilding phase for the Liberals, and to defend the rights of English speakers.
She wasted no time speaking out against controversial bills, including French language reform law, Bill 96.
"These are not easy times for our community. These are not easy times for minorities in Quebec. We are not reassured by the CAQ's empty promises and full-page ads in English media, when their actions tell a very different story," she said. "We now see the CAQs true colours in legislation that is rooted neither in evidence nor in justice."
If she is elected, McGraw said climate change and "planetary procrastination" will be a top priority for her.
- With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.