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Montreal Gazette
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Analysis: After months of campaigning, Quebec Liberals will elect their new leader on Saturday
Quebec Politics By QUEBEC — It has been a long process, often overshadowed by other events, but Quebec's Liberals will finally get their new leader on Saturday. About 600 Liberals are expected to roll into the Quebec City convention centre this weekend to witness the election and the first moves of a successor to Dominique Anglade, who quit the leadership in November 2022. She left politics after the Liberals obtained their worst electoral score ever in the Oct. 3, 2022 general election, which gave Premier François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec a second mandate in office. Many Liberals will arrive having already voted electronically or by phone for one of the five candidates in the leadership race. Others, who chose to wait, will cast their ballots on the site of the Centre des congrès, where the leadership convention is being held. The candidates get one last time to make their pitch in speeches Saturday morning at 10 a.m. The party has not provided an update on the percentage of votes cast to date, but sources said voting has been brisk. There have been no technical problems with the voting system. The actual result of the vote will be announced around 4:15 p.m. Saturday followed by a speech by the winner. For the party, the vote will mark the end of a long leadership process that kicked off officially in January but in reality started rolling informally long before that. In June 2024, former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre was the first to say he wanted the job, followed in August by Charles Milliard, a pharmacist and former president of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec. Other candidates followed, defying early predictions that few contenders would emerge to lead a party so apparently out of step with Quebecers. After Milliard, Marc Bélanger, a lawyer specializing in international taxation, hopped into the race followed by former federal Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez in September. Beauce farmer and economist Mario Roy quietly entered the race in January by informing his local newspaper. In March, the final candidate to step forward was former Roberval Liberal MNA Karl Blackburn, who had considered running earlier, then decided not to because of health reasons. Given a clean bill of health after the Christmas holidays, he entered the race March 30, rapidly collecting the necessary signatures and the $40,000 entry fee. In theory, that would have meant six candidates in the race, but in February after the Liberal party's election committee said he did not fulfil all the requirements, Coderre dropped out of the race, leaving five people on the ballot for the June 14 vote. Coderre left complaining he was unfairly treated. The official campaign, which included a total of six debates, kicked off Jan. 13 but was rapidly overshadowed by a series of events out of the control of the Liberals. In delivering his end-of-session greetings June 6 in the legislature, interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay, in his last hours in the role before being replaced June 14, used humour to say some times even the best-laid plans do not always pan out. 'What extraordinary timing (for the race),' he joked. 'Trump is elected, Trump imposes tariffs, the federal Liberals have a leadership race, there is a federal election, the Canadiens make the series, the Pope dies, a Pope is elected. 'June 14? Habemus papam in the Quebec Liberal Party. We can't wait, we can't wait.' The candidates, nevertheless, cranked up their campaign machinery. While there was less of a buzz in the general population, Liberals, including many veterans who had not been seen in years, showed up for the debates. Over the campaign, Rodriguez picked up the support of the greatest number of Liberal caucus members with a total of 10 MNAs on his team. Milliard got five. The other candidates got none. During the debates, it became apparent the five candidates had similar policy positions — with nuances — but where they differed was in their backgrounds and personalities. Rodriguez, who was perceived as the front-runner in the race, was often the main punching bag of the other candidates during debates. Blackburn, in particular, questioned whether it was a good idea to have a former federal MP from the Trudeau years lead the party when it desperately needs to woo francophone nationalists back into the fold. Rodriguez countered saying since he was the best known of the candidates, the one with the most real political experience and that he stood the best chance of beating Legault and the Parti Québécois in the 2026 election. The race helped the Liberals another way. As of the cutoff date to buy a membership and be eligible to vote in the leadership election, party membership had grown to 20,495 from an all-time low of about 10,000. So who will win? It is almost impossible to predict given the voting system in place. The party has opted for a points system with each of Quebec's 125 ridings assigned 3,000 points. Of the 3,000 points, 1,000 are in the hands of youth members ages 25 and under. To win, a candidate has to obtain a majority of the 375,000 points. If no candidates gets a majority on the first ballot, a second is held between the two candidates with the most votes. That's why candidates were working hard until the last minute in the hopes of wooing Liberals into making their candidate their second or third choice. But even after winning over the party, the winner faces other challenges in the coming weeks, starting with rebuilding a party on the outs with voters. There is also the matter of a seat in the legislature. None of the candidates are elected. While the new leader might decide to wait until 2026 to run for office, a seat in the National Assembly would give the person greater visibility because the Liberals form the official opposition. There is currently one vacant seat, Arthabaska, but no date has been set for a byelection. The riding was won in 2022 by the CAQ. The PQ, Quebec Conservatives and Québec solidaire have named their candidates, but the CAQ and Liberals have not. In theory, the new leader could run there, but the risk of losing is probably too high. The last time Arthabaska voted Liberal was 2008. There is another option. The winner could appeal to a member of the Liberal caucus to step aside and spark a byelection in a riding with deeper Liberal roots.
Montreal Gazette
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Coderre urges Quebec Liberal supporters and federalists to vote for Conservative leader Duhaime in Arthabaska byelection
Quebec Politics Former Montreal mayor and unsuccessful Quebec Liberal leadership candidate Denis Coderre is calling upon provincial Liberal supporters and federalists to support Quebec Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime in the yet-to-be called byelection in the provincial riding of Arthabaska. Coderre said on Thursday he believes Duhaime's ideas, such as the latter's opposition to the provincial carbon tax, should be heard in the National Assembly. 'In (the general election of ) 2022, the (Quebec) Liberals got 591,000 votes and (elected) 21 MNAs, while the (provincial) Conservatives got 530,000 votes and elected no one,' Coderre said in a communiqué. 'To combat the prevailing cynicism toward the political class, it seems to me essential that Éric Duhaime get into the National Assembly.' Coderre tried to run for the Quebec Liberal leadership, but unresolved tax issues on his part led to the party rejecting his candidacy. Coderre public stated he was 'disgusted' by the party's decision. Coderre served as mayor of Montreal from 2013 to 2017. Prior to that he was Liberal MP for the Montreal riding of Bourassa. According to the Qc125 aggregator site, the byelection in Arthabaska is a three-way race between the Conservatives, the ruling Coalition Avenir Québec and the Parti Québécois. Former Radio-Canada journalist Alex Boissonneault is running for the PQ ,and Pascale Fortin is running for Québec solidaire. The CAQ and Quebec Liberals have yet to announce a candidate. Arthabaska has been a CAQ riding since 2012. In the 2022 vote, Conservative candidate Tarek Henoud finished in second place with 25 per cent of the vote.
Hamilton Spectator
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Trey Anthony returns to the NWT to 'speak the unspeakable things' in NACC performance
The multi-talented Canadian Trey Anthony, known for her award-winning play, Da Kink in My Hair, is set to tour several NWT communities and take the stage at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) in Yellowknife this week with a new performance. Black Girl in Love (With Herself) Speaking the Unspeakable Things, promises to be an evening of music, comedy, dialogue, and insight, Marie Coderre, executive and artistic director of NACC said. 'It's about the life of black women and what they are experiencing in this world and in society on a daily basis. And also, there's a touch of humor too,' Coderre said. 'You will navigate through a different range of emotions when you watch a play like this and she is giving us a really good taste of the intimacy of what's up in the world of black woman on a daily basis.' Anthony, a Jamaican-British-Canadian, is known as the 'Oprah of Canada' and is the first Black woman in Canada to have her own primetime series on a major television network. The versatile performer is also a writer whose newly released book Black Girl in Love (With Herself) has been published by Hay House and she has written for Global Television, the Women's Television Network and the Comedy Network, among others. Described as 'an uncensored night of true sisterhood and support', Black Girl in Love will delve into what is considered the 'taboo' topics of infertility, fibroids, miscarriage and black women and therapy, among others, such as questions surrounding motherhood. Coderre said such stories are 'very important'. 'We learn something new when it's not our reality, and to me, it's a high-quality scenario and script and text and Trey is a gifted artist. We're very lucky that she accepted to come to the Northwest Territories. 'And, you know, in the NWT, there are Indigenous woman who can relate to Black women on many levels. So I think it will be a fantastic tour and to have a cultural exchange,' Coderre said. 'It's going to be a show that is very blunt, very transparent, and it's an intimate experience of what Black girls experience on a daily basis in a contemporary setting. And it's about the past, the present, and the future too, as well.' Black Girl in Love (With Herself) will be performed in Norman Wells on May 20, in Inuvik on May 22 and at NACC in Yellowknife on May 24.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Putnam Board of Finance chairman enters race for mayor
Putnam — The chairman of the town's Board of Finance declared his candidacy Tuesday for the Republican nomination in the mayoral race here. David Coderre is the first prospective challenger to enter the race after Mayor Barney Seney pulled out of the Republican party in March and announced his plans to run as an unaffiliated candidate for a fifth term. 'I have great respect for Dave and his dedication to public service,' Seney, who has served as mayor since 2017, said in a statement. 'Healthy competition is a cornerstone of our democracy, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss issues that matter most to our community. My focus remains on serving the people of Putnam and continuing the work we've started. I look forward to engaging with voters and sharing my vision for the future!' Coderre, the president and owner of the military and commercial packaging company Fast Pak, LLC, has sat on the Board of Finance as chairman for the last seven years and previously served on the Board of Selectmen and the Municipal Complex Building Committee. When Seney left the party, Coderre said it left the Republicans without a candidate. 'I thought that with everything I've done before, and the town where it is right now, that it was a good time for me to throw my hat in the ring and seek the Republican nomination,' Coderre said. If elected, Coderre said he would be the first mayor 'in a long time' to bring a private sector background to the position. Coderre said he would approach issues by looking at 'how we run this in the private world, rather than just a world where we turn around and pass along any cost to the taxpayer. 'I ran my own business for 10 years and, as most small business owners will tell you, meeting payroll and making sure the lights stay on are job number one, and I think we forget that when we get into a government sector,' Coderre said. 'I'm the kind of person who would come in with enough experience on how things do run, but an outside perspective to say how can we do it even better, how can we make it a little more efficient and make it a better operating machine for the town.' As mayor, Coderre said he would like to see the town 'build on the progress we've made and continue to grow as a community.' 'I grew up here … my family's here, all my roots are here and it's a town that I love,' Coderre said. 'The town is in a great place, it's made great strides and I think we're just at a point now where we need that next vision.' As Coderre heads into the race, he said he is focused on addressing the impact of rising property values on taxpayers, in addition to economic development, beautification, the school budget, aging infrastructure, and facility upgrades for Putnam EMS and the town's police and fire stations. When it comes to the aging emergency services facilities, Coderre said 'We can't ignore the 800-pound gorilla in the room.' 'I think that sometimes this administration has tried to address things a little bit more of a short-term rather than a long-term solution,' Coderre said. 'We need to do something long term and eventually that's gonna cost some money, but we can't just turn a blind eye to it. … The first step would be putting an exploratory committee together to bring professionals in and see what kind of advice we could get on some of the options that are available to us.' In 2018, Coderre ran for state senate in the 29th District and lost against Democratic Sen. Mae Flexer. During that race, the Hartford Courant reported that Coderre had been arrested three times in 2011 and once in Rhode Island in 2017 for domestic-related incidents. At the time, the Courant said the arrests, which included charges of disorderly conduct, violating a restraining order and willful trespass, had all been dismissed by a judge or erased upon Coderre's completion of a court-mandated family violence program. According to a document from the North Kingstown, R.I., Police Department, Coderre was arrested there in May of 2017 on the charge of willful trespass at the property of his ex-wife. In a brief narrative police wrote that a male caller reported that 'he was assaulted at Wilson park,' and that Coderre 'followed him to his home.' When asked about the arrests, Coderre described the situation as 'water under the bridge.' 'The people of Putnam have elected me multiple times since then. People that know me know who I am,' Coderre said. 'No divorces are fun. … It was an issue, it shouldn't have been an issue, it was made up by a very nasty political opponent.' Coderre said that he does not anticipate that his history will be an issue this election, adding that 'it has not come up again.'
