Quebec Solidaire members to submit emergency motion supporting Bouazzi

Québec Solidaire MNA Haroun Bouazzi’s comments about alleged racism in the National Assembly are sowing division within the party.

Bouazzi has been publicly condemned by spokespersons Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and Ruba Ghazal, but he can count on the support of at least 11 constituency associations.

Those associations will be submitting an emergency motion to the QS convention on Sunday, calling on the party to support Bouazzi and denounce “the smear campaign against him.”

Haroun Bouazzi is currently at the centre of controversy for having said that, every day in the National Assembly, he heard comments that portrayed the "Other," the immigrant, the native, as a dangerous culture.

His comments caused an uproar throughout the political class, to the point where Nadeau-Dubois and Ghazal called their colleague to order for his “clumsy, exaggerated and polarising” statements.

On Saturday evening, at the party organised to mark Ghazal's election as its female co-spokesperson — she obtained 91 per cent of the vote — all MNAs endorsed the leaders' stance.

But “if a left-wing party doesn't defend the people who dare to call a spade a spade, where are we going?” asked activist Carmen Chouinard.

“It worries me enormously when, every time there's a problem in Quebec, immigration is blamed,” added long-time QS member François Saillant.

The emergency motion states that “certain elected members of the National Assembly have made numerous speeches that portray immigration in a negative light, even as a threat.”

It argues that “Haroun Bouazzi's remarks were very clearly aimed at these speeches that contribute to fuelling fear of the ‘Other,’” and asks QS to give him its full support.

“I feel really good today, surrounded by solidarity,” Bouazzi told reporters Saturday evening.

Dusting off the party statutes

QS delegates are meeting at a special convention this weekend to review the party's statutes, which date from 2006.

According to Nadeau-Dubois, the goal is to “fine-tune our activism machine ... so that it is well-oiled” with a view to the 2026 general election.

“This isn't a minor renovation of a bathroom; it's a major renovation of the entire Québec Solidaire building," he said.

The proposed changes run to 81 pages.

Saturday afternoon, delegates voted to elect co-spokespersons by universal suffrage, i.e. by all party members. Until now, this vote has been reserved for delegates.

It will also be decided which of the two spokespeople will be the party “leader” within the meaning of the electoral law. QS’s secretary general currently has the legal status of “leader.”

This change will enable QS to comply with the requirements of the Directeur général des élections du Québec (DGEQ) for holding leadership races.

One year before elections, delegates will choose the spokesperson who can run as an aspiring premier and take part in the leaders' debates.

This aspiring premier will automatically be made parliamentary leader to give them more visibility in the media.

The party hopes the changes will lead to increased donations, membership recruitment, and influence of members within the party, according to QS president Roxane Milot.

Parity

QS has also given itself the means to push female candidates in general elections and by-elections.

Delegates voted on Saturday for the National Council to be able to “adopt criteria to determine the representativeness of persons who may stand as candidates.”

The wording opens the door to all sorts of criteria, such as a minimum presence of visible, sexual or gender minorities.

Last year, delegates adopted a temporary measure to require a female candidate in the event of a by-election after concerns about non-parity in the caucus.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 17, 2024.