Skip to main content

NDP has its sights set on federal minister Steven Guilbeault's Montreal seat

Share

The New Democratic Party (NDP) will launch explicit and direct attacks this weekend on Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, the member of Parliament for the Montreal riding of Laurier--Sainte-Marie, making it "their priority" to take his seat in the next election.

NDP Quebec lieutenant Alexandre Boulerice said that the former environmental activist has changed since his days of climbing the CN Tower in Toronto, painting a picture of an "incoherent" politician who "talks out of both sides of his mouth" to the point of inviting "the wolves into the fold," in reference to oil industry lobbyists who were scheduled to attend events at the Canadian pavilion at COP27 in Egypt this week.

Boulerice, who is the only NDP MP in Quebec, will have his riding neighbour in mind on Saturday, and his leader, Jagmeet Singh, will do the same the next day when they both speak at the NDP's Quebec chapter convention.

The event is being held in Montreal, in the targeted riding, and Boulerice's knives were already sharpened in an interview with The Canadian Press.

"The federal government is still not meeting its greenhouse gas reduction targets," he said. "They are still subsidizing oil and gas companies. It is adding new subsidies with tax credits on new carbon capture technologies. It continues Trans Mountain. He's signing Bay du Nord, which is a new extraction off Newfoundland."

Singh was also happy to point out in interviews "several examples of the contrast between what he has done in the past and what he is doing now in office."

The New Democrats believe that the Laurier--Sainte-Marie seat is within reach. In the previous federal election, Guilbeault won 38.0 per cent of the vote, compared to 32.9 per cent for his NDP opponent Nimâ Machouf.

The riding is only the first in a long list of places where the progressive left-wing party intends to concentrate its efforts. The emphasis will be on areas where there is a support base, Singh said.

"I have done a lot of touring in Montreal, and I continue to get a lot of positive responses," he said. "My goal is to become prime minister. And to become the next prime minister, I have to win in Quebec."

The NDP leader believes that his party has delivered the goods with big wins thanks to the deal made with the Liberals.

He boasted that he forced Justin Trudeau's government to implement a program to provide free dental care for children under 12 and to include a one-time $500 supplement to the Canada Assistance Allowance.

"I want to show Quebecers that we are here for you," he said. "We can do more, and we're really the only option if you want to replace Justin Trudeau, and you don't like what Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said."

WHERE ARE THE YOUNG PEOPLE?

Boulerice said the targets are clear and realistic. He knows that the minority government can fall if the deal that keeps the Liberals in power is torn up and the government fails a confidence vote.

The NDP wants to make gains in the metropolis, notably in Outremont and Hochelaga, in Sherbrooke, where MP Elisabeth Brière is seen as a weak link, as well as in the ridings of central Quebec City.

He notes that his message speaks to 18-34-year-olds and thus sees fertile ground in regions where universities are located.

"Young people are thirsty for climate justice, for social justice," said Boulerice. "And on these issues, the NDP is really on the front line, we are credible, and we have proposals that are interesting, that resonates."

Both Boulerice and Singh refused to give a numerical target for seats in Quebec. In the last election, the Liberals won 34 seats, the Bloc 34 and the Conservatives 10. Although the NDP won only one seat, it still had 9.8 per cent of the vote.

In 2011, the party had achieved its best performance in history under Jack Layton's leadership to the point of winning the official opposition in the House of Commons with its 103 seats, more than half of which were from Quebec.

The New Democrats want to be ready for the next election as soon as possible. The machine is already in motion, they say. The party is recruiting volunteers, organizing funding, and updating its database.

Boulerice admits that there is no one who would want a federal election to be called when the government has only been in power for a year. He believes his party has time on its hands but doesn't know if it will make it to 2025.

"I don't have a crystal ball, but it really depends on whether the Liberals fulfil the commitments of the agreement, yes or no. If they don't, then the government will have to do something. If they don't, we pull the plug," he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 19, 2022. 

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Stay Connected