A rally against the abolition of the provincial riding of Ste-Marie-St-Jacques was held in Montreal on Sunday.
The riding is currently held by Quebec Solidaire MNA Manon Massé. The demonstrators were asking for Quebec’s electoral commission to reconsider its decision to remove the riding from the electoral map.
"The Ste-Marie-St-Jacques people were never consulted on this plan," said Massé. "This is why they're in the streets and here to day, because they want to be consulted."
A petition against the decision has garnered more than 8,000 signatures.
Under the new electoral map, Ste-Marie-St-Jacques would be incorporated into a new Ville-Marie riding, which would also include part of the riding of Westmount-St-Louis.
Massé said she was concerned the makeup of the new riding would mean some voters voices would not be heard, especially in the Gay Village portion. While she doesn't believe the reconfiguration is aimed at costing QS one of its three seats, she did acknowledge the move would hurt the party and, by extension, its voters.
"We have a specific voice," she said. You said the Gay Village? You're right. Let's say the homeless people. They say they have a special voice in Parliament representing Ste-Marie-St-Jacques. Of course if they're included in the Westmount-St-Louis riding, this specific voice will disappear."
- With files from The Canadian Press
