Voters in the Montreal South Shore riding of Marie-Victorin will choose their new provincial legislature member on April 11.

The Legault government kicked off the by-election on Tuesday, following a special cabinet meeting.

The riding of Marie-Victorin has been vacant since the election of Catherine Fournier as mayor of Longueuil last November.

Recently, the opposition parties had accused the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) government of procrastinating and putting its partisan interests ahead of those of the population.

Premier François Legault has so far justified his decision by citing the pandemic.

He had declared in a press scrum that if he was taking time to call the by-election, it was because the voters of Marie-Victorin were still "scared" of going door-to-door.

At about the same time, a Léger opinion poll suggested that the CAQ was neck-and-neck with the Parti québécois (PQ) in Marie-Victorin.

In a press release issued Tuesday, Legault explained that the health situation had evolved and that it was necessary to "allow the citizens of this riding to be represented in the National Assembly."

"Quebec will be deconfining in a few days and all candidates will be able to go to meet voters without restriction. This is good for Marie-Victorin, it is good for democracy," he said.

Shirley Dorismond is running for the CAQ, while Pierre Nantel is running under the PQ banner and Émilie Nollet is representing the Liberal Party of Quebec.

Shophika Vaithyanathasarma is the candidate of Québec solidaire, and actress Anne Casabonne is running for the Conservative Party of Quebec. Martine Ouellet is attempting a return to politics with the Climat Québec party.

Legault said he will hold a scrum with his candidate Tuesday afternoon in Longueuil to officially launch the campaign in Marie-Victorin.

The person who is elected on April 11 in Marie-Victorin will hold the position for six months before having to repeat the exercise in the provincial election, scheduled for this fall.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on March 8, 2022.