Paul St-Pierre Plamondon spoke on Saturday morning at Tétro en fête, in the east of Montreal, on armed violence in the metropolis: the leader of the Parti Québécois does not want “Montreal to become a Baltimore”.
Posted at 10:18 a.m.
Updated at 12:45 p.m.
The Parti Québécois has invited the media to the Camille-Laurin riding to reiterate its priorities regarding armed violence in Montreal following the gunshots that rang out Friday evening on Taillon Street in the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough. .
“I chose Montreal so that Montreal remains safe,” said the leader of the Parti Québécois and candidate in Bourget-Camille-Laurin, in a press scrum.
The Parti Québécois plans in particular to increase the seizure of firearms, to increase police control at the United States border and to “dismantle criminal gangs”.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon wishes to reserve a larger budget for community organizations working in the prevention of armed violence. It also plans to “foster urban planning that fosters bonds between people”.
The leader of the Parti Québécois took the opportunity to reiterate the importance of Quebec independence. According to him, “there are real good current reasons for independence”, gun control being essentially a federal matter.
“There is a big part that escapes us. We are stuck with a federal government that is dragging its feet,” he added.
Full team
On the eve of the official launch of the election campaign in Quebec, the PQ announced that it has completed its team of candidates who will try to be elected in the general election on October 3 in the 125 ridings of Quebec.
Among the candidates, there are 72 men, 53 women, one Aboriginal person and 10 candidates from cultural minorities. The average age of candidates is 39 years old.
“It makes us, I think, the youngest party in the elections and we manage to rally all generations,” said the leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, in an interview with The Canadian Press.
He also firmly believes that this PQ succession is there for the cause of independence and not because it was difficult to find candidates while the PQ is lagging behind in the polls.
“These are candidacies for the cause of independence, for that of French, of the environment. People, who clearly have not been promised a limousine, and who are there out of conviction, ”assured the PQ leader.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, THE PRESS
Last in voting intentions
How then does he manage to motivate his troops and newcomers when a new Léger poll, carried out for the Quebec newspaperplaces the PQ dead last in the voting intentions with only 9% of support?
“The potential for growth is there. Moreover, the figures clearly show that the Parti Québécois is the one that gets the most second choices. In other words, it is the party that is the most considered by people who, for the moment, intend to vote for another party,” he asserts confidently.
I think we are in a position to surprise, to pleasantly surprise and we will see how far we can go.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of the Parti Québécois
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, 45, is also now officially a candidate for his political party in the riding of Camille-Laurin, formerly known as Bourget, in Montreal. He will launch his party’s national campaign on Sunday, the official day of the election call.
“We have brought together men and women from all over Quebec to propose a real alternative to the federalism of François Legault,” declared Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon.
“Roughly speaking, it’s a balanced, multi-generational and balanced team and it’s very typical of what the Parti Québécois does. Rather than pitting one generation once morest another or pitting groups once morest others, we are a cause that brings together all generations and all profiles, so it gives a very balanced team,” said the leader of the QP.
With The Canadian Press