Quebec Liberals announce new candidate for NDG as Kathleen Weil steps down

The Quebec Liberal Party has announced a new candidate in the Montreal riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce for the upcoming fall election.

Désirée McGraw will replace Kathleen Weil, who will not seek re-election after serving 14 years in the National Assembly. Weil held cabinet positions both as immigration minister and justice minister during her tenure with the Liberals.

McGraw has a background in philanthropy, public policy and sustainable development.

Weil is now the 13th candidate who has announced they will not seek re-election in the Oct. 3 election. Among them are veterans Paul Arcand, Christine St-Pierre, Lise Thériault, Hélène David and Gaétan Barrette. Former finance minister Carlos Leitao said Saturday that he did not want to run again.

Struggling to garner support for the Liberals outside Montreal, Anglade said she was "convinced" that it was still possible to find a political option that could bring together both francophones and anglophones in Quebec.

"François Legault is trying to divide and conquer," she said. "When you look at Quebecers, generally speaking, we all want to be in favour of promoting and protecting the French language."

Raised in the community, McGraw is a resident of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and said she felt it was important to step up now as a candidate during a rebuilding phase for the Liberals, and to defend the rights of English speakers.

She wasted no time speaking out against controversial bills, including French language reform law, Bill 96. 

• READ MORE: Use of French at home is only one indicator of language health: Quebec demographers

"These are not easy times for our community. These are not easy times for minorities in Quebec. We are not reassured by the CAQ's empty promises and full-page ads in English media, when their actions tell a very different story," she said. "We now see the CAQs true colours in legislation that is rooted neither in evidence nor in justice."

If she is elected, McGraw said climate change and "planetary procrastination" will be a top priority for her.

- With files from The Canadian Press