Four weeks before by-elections for four vacant provincial ridings, the race for Verdun’s seat in the National Assembly is heating up.
On Saturday, Parti Quebecois leader Jean-Francois Lisee made a stop to campaign for candidate Richard Langlais on Nuns’ Island. The PQ is making a concerted effort to garner votes in a riding that has long been rival territory.
“It’s been Liberal since the early ‘60s, but it doesn’t need to stay this way,” said Lisee.
Lisee said voter discontent with the ruling Liberals combined with the Coalition Avenir Quebec making headway could help local businessman Langlais make history.
“The Liberal candidate is someone who is completely unknown here, that doesn’t live here, hasn’t had an impact in Verdun at all,” he said.
However, Liberal candidate Isabelle Melancon was also pressing the flesh on Saturday. The candidate was campaigning door-to-door, asking potential constituents what issues are important to them.
She said she thinks voters will admire the Liberals for making hard decisions over budget cuts and will have faith in the party going forward.
“Was it easy? No,” she said. “Did we have the courage to do it? The answer is yes.”
The Verdun seat was left vacant following the resignation of former transport minister Jacques Daoust in August. Daoust left politics after emails surfaced suggesting he had approved the sale of Rona Hardware to American interests while serving as Quebec’s economy minister.
