The resignation of Émilise Lessard-Therrien on Monday had the effect of a bomb within Québec solidaire, according to Mario Dumont who, moreover, raises a form of redundancy with the arguments against the male co-spokesperson written by Catherine Dorion.
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“When Catherine Dorion criticized Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, we took it with a grain of salt, saying: ‘Catherine Dorion must not be easy to work with’,” says the columnist on the show 100% News.
It was the numerous attacks by the former solidarity MP towards “parliament, the political system, Québec solidaire and the leader” which drowned out her argument, underlines Mr. Dumont.
However, this would not be the case for Émilise Lessard-Therrien.
“What we saw from the outside was an efficient MP who seemed to work well in a team,” he says.
“All of a sudden, she slams the door for a few months [après avoir été élue comme co-porte-parole féminine], what happened?” he asks.
According to him, either Ms. Lessard-Therrien lacked resilience and could have waited to occupy the position of co-spokesperson for a full year before making this decision, or “[il n’a] not considering the magnitude” of the situation.
“To draw such a drastic conclusion in such a short time is as if you must have experienced trauma,” he maintains. I have the impression that we are missing a piece of what happened internally, but let’s say that the consequence is big.
Revise the co-spokesperson formula?
Mario Dumont makes no secret of it: he does not adhere to the co-spokesperson formula.
“It annoys me, I don’t think it’s right,” he says directly.
He first explains that the concept of co-spokesperson complicates the application of electoral law since neither of these representatives is the leader of the party.
“Each party appoints a leader, then the leader has heavy responsibilities if things go badly or if there is fraud,” says the analyst. The co-spokespeople do not put themselves in charge. It is Nicolas Chatel-Launey – an unknown person whom the public has almost never seen on TV – who is the registered leader. In the sense of Quebec electoral law, the one who bears all the responsibilities of leader is someone to whom you cannot ask questions in an interview.”
“So I find that their structure is something that doesn’t work,” he says. It’s a two-headed monster.”
In addition, another problem arises if the party finds itself in power.
“If Québec solidaire governs one day, it will need a prime minister,” he recalls. We will have to make the most difficult decision in the history of the mandate. You have two options, you have two bad choices. At some point, it takes a boss, it can be a man or a woman, but it takes someone who decides.”
