The Liberals have revealed a former Quebecor journalist will be going up against Pierre Karl Peladeau in the St. Jerome riding.
Armand Dubois worked at Radio Canada for three years in the 80s before moving over to TVA, where he worked for 16 years, until 2002.
TVA is owned by TVA Group, a subsidiary of Quebecor, the media empire founded by Peladeau’s father and in which he still owns shares.
At an event to announce his candidacy, Dubois said he doesn’t know Peladeau personally and didn’t enter the race specifically to go head-to-head with his former boss.
He's said he joined the Liberals because he believes in the vision of Philippe Couillard and also that the most important issues right now for Quebec are health care, the economy and keeping Quebec in Canada.
Dubois did say he believes Peladeau is in a conflict can have interest, and that even though he said he'll put his Quebecor shares into a blind trust that his power within the media industry in Quebec is too great for him to be a candidate in St. Jerome.
“I’m criticizing the judgment of Marois to allow someone to run who will probably have to choose between serving his own interests or serving the public. My choice is clear – I’m here to serve the citizens,” he said.
Dubois has held several other positions in the communications field, including most recently working as the press contact for a group representing French teachers in Quebec. He also did speaking engagements and was a training consultant.
The St. Jerome riding has traditionally voted PQ, but Dubois said he believes voters will choose the Liberals this time around to avoid a referendum.
Former police chief Jacques Duchesneau won the St. Jerome riding as part of the Coalition Avenir Quebec in 2012, but is not running again.
The CAQ revealed Tuesday a relative unknown -- Patrice Charbonneau, a real-estate agent from St. Jerome -- as their new candidate in the riding.
