NDP Leader Avi Lewis says he was unable to convince the party’s last member of Parliament in Quebec to stay in federal politics, but the NDP will now fight to hold the riding in an inevitable byelection.
Alexandre Boulerice confirmed on Monday that he will be leaving his seat in the Montreal-area riding of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie that he has held for 15 years.
Mr. Boulerice told a news conference in Montreal that he will run for the sovereigntist Québec solidaire party in the fall provincial election.
Mr. Lewis said many New Democrats tried to convince the MP to stay. “It’s clear this decision has been a long time in coming,” he told reporters on Parliament Hill.
Mr. Lewis said he spoke to Mr. Boulerice about his plans at the Winnipeg convention where the former won the party leadership last month, and that it was clear the veteran MP had been in the process of considering the political move.
Monday’s development leaves the NDP with five seats in the House of Commons, short of the 12 required for official party status, and associated privileges.
It’s also a long way from the so-called Orange Wave election win of 2011 in which the NDP, under the leadership of Jack Layton, won 59 of 75 seats in the province.
Mr. Lewis tried to cast the development as a positive, principled move by Mr. Boulerice. “There are serious issues in Quebec and Alexandre wants to put his considerable skills as a politician and as a fighter for progressive values to work in his province, and we respect that decision.”
He said the party will try and hold Mr. Boulerice’s riding whenever a byelection is called.
“This is not a surprise. I am not fazed and we’re excited to continue to build the NDP in Quebec,” Mr. Lewis said.
He said the party will aim to build on momentum from the leadership race and work hard to maintain the riding.
“There will be an excellent candidate in the byelection,” he said, adding it’s too soon to be specific.
But he said he won’t run in the riding himself. “Quebeckers should be represented by Quebeckers and I am not a Quebecker,” he said. “And there’s a lot of interest locally.”
Asked by a journalist if Monday’s development was a test for him as a new leader, Mr. Lewis chuckled, and said, “Every day is a test… in this beautiful game of politics.”