Liberal stronghold up for grabs in Jean-Talon byelection

Just 14 months after the last provincial election, voters in Quebec City's Jean-Talon riding are heading back to the polls on Monday.

The Liberals are hoping to fend off strong challenges from the Coalition Avenir Qubec, as well as QubecSolidaire and the Parti Qubcois.

In 2018, Liberal MNA Sbastien Proulxbeat his CAQ opponent,Jolle Boutin, by 1,362 votes (or 32.6 per cent compared 28.6 per cent).

But Proulx, a former education minister,quit politics less than a year later leaving an opening inthe Liberal fortress.

The Liberals havewon in every single election since the electoral map was drawnin 1966 although the boundaries of the riding have changed significantly in that time.

It now encompasses part of the Montcalm neighbourhood, as well as Sillery and Sainte-Foy.

If the partyloses Jean-Talon, the Liberals won't have any MNAseast of the greater Montreal area.

Philippe Couillard won Roberval, in theSaguenay area, in 2018, but quit politics soon after the election.

A byelectionfollowed Couillard'sdeparturein December 2018, and the CAQ'sNancyGuillemette won with55 per cent of the vote.

The Liberals' hopes of holding ontoJean-Talonlie withGertrude Bourdon.Boutin is running again for the CAQ.

She made a dramatic entrance into politics during thatcampaignandwas reportedly courtedby the CAQbefore joining Couillard's team. But Bourdon ended up inthird place in Jean-Lesage, behind Qubec Solidaire and the CAQ.

'Liberal bastion'

Sillery resident Robert Dinan said the Liberals' time may be up in Jean-Talon.

"It's a Liberal bastion but I think that [Boutin] has a serious chance of winning," he said.

Dinan said he thinks voters in the riding are "obviously consistent", but also "conservative" and "vote with their wallets."

About 20per cent of voters cast ballots in the advanced polls.

CatherineDelfossewas one of themand said she didn't mind voting again,just 14 months after the provincial election.

"It gives us the opportunity to change our minds if we want," she said. "We had the opportunity to testthe new government too, which was a great thing."

Strolling down MaguireStreet, Rodolphe Gagnonagrees that a second vote gives citizens the chance to critique the government.

He decided to go with Parti Qubcois candidate Sylvain Barrette, for the second time in a row.

"For me, it's the party that embodies the sovereignty movements, and I like thebalance in the values and policies the party puts forward."

Meanwhile,Qubec SolidaireMNAs went door-to-door on Thursday evening to rally support for their candidate, Olivier Bolduc, a teacher and environmental activist.

Polls say CAQgaining ground

Things are looking good for the CAQ, and that was confirmed by a recentLgerpoll, commissioned by the Journal de Montral.

It found that 49 per cent of respondents in the Quebec City region would vote for the CAQ if another election were held today only 17 per cent would choose the Liberals.

"I don't need to be a betting person to feel that the Coalition Avenir Qubec is well poised to gain that seat from the Liberals," according to Lgerexecutive vice-president Christian Bourque.

Polls will be open on Monday, Dec.2, from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

List of candidates in the Jean-Talon byelection

• ric Barnab Quebec Conservative Party
• Sylvain BaretteParti Qubcois
• Stphane Blais Citoyens au pouvoir du Qubec
• Michel BlondinParti pour l'indpendance du Qubec
• Olivier Bolduc Qubec Solidaire
• Gertrude Bourdon Quebec Liberal Party
• Jolle Boutin Coalition Avenir Qubec
• Emilie Coulombe Green Party of Quebec
• Ali Dahan Independent
• Stphane Pouleur quipe autonomiste