Aylmer’s youth candidate

Québec Solidaire sends its stars to Gatineau campaign

Two very well-known Québec Solidaire (QS) spokespersons, Manon Massé and Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, visited the Outaouais two weeks ago to support the party’s five candidates. A large crowd gathered at the Troquet in Hull, September 3, for the QS Outaouais campaign launch.

Earlier, the party had announced an increase of the minimum wage to $15/hr, effective May 1, 2019, followed by a yearly indexing to the cost of living. “Since we are here in a border area and Ontario has raised its minimum wage, this affects us,” says Julia Wilkie, QS candidate for Pontiac.

“When we increase people’s purchasing power, they spend it close to home. An increase in minimum wage will immediately stimulate the local economy,” added Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, co-spokesperson for QS. And to help Quebec businesses adjust to this increase in their wage-bill,  QS plans on investing 100 million dollars a year, for five years, should they gain power in the October 1 election.

The left-of-centre party is determined to win ridings outside Montreal Island. “We need change, but not just a change of label or face, we need a change of vision,” Massé told the Troquet crowd.

Québec Solidaire in Pontiac

Aylmer-born and resident Julia Wilkie is the Québec Solidaire candidate in Pontiac. She studied at Grande-Rivière high school -- and took part in the “carrés rouges” movement when she was 12 years old. “QS is a visionary party that shares my values,” says the 19-year-old candidate.

Heritage preservation in Pontiac is one of her priorities. Ms Wilkie argues that the  economy and environment must be approached together.  “I know that Pontiac has been traditionally Liberal, but I am putting all my efforts into convincing local citizens that the Québec Solidaire alternative is a good option in the whole Outaouais.”
(Transl. CB)