Verdun is proving to be a hotly-contested riding during the 2014 election. Premier Pauline Marois has already been in the riding twice to support her Parti québécois candidate, Lorraine Pintal.
Jacques Daoust officially launched his campaign on Monday night from his election office at 4110 Wellington. More than fifty people filled the room to hear his speech, which was entirely in French.
He began by speaking about his general frustration with Quebec’s current premier and her tendency to underestimate Quebec’s debt by $56 billion while over-estimating the provinces’ revenues by $7 million. “If I had a budget with $7 million more and a debt with $56 billion less, I could do things that are a bit different, but that’s not the way it is. To act as if it is that way makes absolutely no sense.”
When it comes to Verdun, of course I have to become the minister for the riding. I am persuaded that with the support of everyone here, I can win the election solidly. Once you represent the riding, of course, there are delicate issues. Speaking about a school on Nun’s Island, for example. I’m not an urbanist; that’s the municipality’s responsibility. I’m not an expert in schools, that’s the school board’s responsibility. One thing that all of us can agree is, I have a four-year-old grand-daughter, and what I wish for her is a neighbourhood school.”
He went on to speak in favour of an emergency bridge between the mainland and Nun’s Island: “For those of you who find bridges ugly, just visit Paris. There are bridges everywhere there and they look very pretty.”
He also wants to preserve public access to the Verdun waterfront and renovate the Verdun Hospital.
Two other parties have announced their candidates for the Verdun riding. They include Benoit Richer for The Coaltion avenir Québec – L’équipe François Legault and Rosa Pires for Québec Solidaire. The Green Party also has set up two campaign posters in Verdun, but both feature party leader Alex Tyrell since no candidate for Verdun has come forward yet.
Pires plans to officially open her campaign office at 478 de l’eglise tomorrow (Thursday, March 22) for the leaders’ debate.
Note: This article was published on page 9 of the Suburban on March 19.
