La Pinière MNA Fatima Houda-Pepin, who left the Liberal caucus on January 20 in a disagreement over the Charter of Values, is poised to run as an independent candidate in the upcoming Quebec provincial election.
Houda-Pepin, who was first elected in 1994, said that she has received countless messages asking her to run again to help with the struggle against religious fundamentalism.
“I can’t go shopping without people stopping me. Everywhere I go the reaction is very positive and that’s encouraging,” she said.
Her problem, she says, is funding, as she no longer has access to the $40,000 war chest that came with being a Liberal.
She said that those wishing to contribute to her campaign can donate up to $100 through the site of the Chief Electoral Officer
"It would be a concrete gesture that shows that people are willing to make me want to stay in politics and fight for my values and to grow the ideas I've put forth," she said.
The La Pinière riding, located in Brossard on the South Shore of Montreal, is a Liberal stronghold that often returns Liberals with majorities of over 10,000 votes.
No independent candidate has been elected to the Quebec National Assembly since 1966.
