The “disagreements” surrounding the exit of Haroun Bouazzi on the “construction of the Other” are “behind” Québec solidaire (QS), said Sunday Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, after party activists adopted a motion affirming and strong that the National Assembly and its members are not racist.
At the end of a congress where Mr. Bouazzi’s remarks on the “construction of the Other” occupied everyone’s minds, the delegates supported on Sunday afternoon a resolution “strongly” condemning the threats of which Mr. Bouazzi is the target since this week, but unequivocally affirming “that Québec solidaire does not support and has never supported that the National Assembly and its members are racist.”
The solidarity activists preferred this motion, tabled by the party leadership, to a second proposal that 13 local and national associations had tabled the day before for the party to “publicly express its support for the remarks of Haroun Bouazzi with regard to the construction of the Other”.
In recent days, the two spokespersons and several QS deputies had rebuked Mr. Bouazzi for his controversial comments. During a speech given at the beginning of the month, the elected representative of Maurice-Richard suggested that the prevailing political discourse in the National Assembly favored intolerance and discrimination.
“These disagreements are behind us,” said solidarity spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois on Sunday after the vote. “The page is turned. The debate was resolved by the members. » According to his new colleague as spokesperson, Ruba Ghazal, the party emerges “united”.
“Construction of this Other”
Since Mr. Bouazzi’s remarks were made public, several elected representatives of the National Assembly have asked Québec Solidaire to “act” and even consider excluding him from the caucus. The solidarity deputy denies having ever said that the elected representatives of the National Assembly are racist.
During his speech, given before an organization representing the Maghreb community, he said that: “We unfortunately see – and God knows I see this in the National Assembly every day – the construction of this Other. Of this Other, who is North African, who is Muslim, who is black, who is indigenous, and of his culture which, by definition, would be dangerous or inferior. »
Solidarity activists refused on Sunday to allow the debates on Haroun Bouazzi’s remarks to be exposed in broad daylight. In the middle of the afternoon, the QS National Coordination Committee submitted a proposal for a media closed session on Sunday afternoon, which was endorsed by the delegates present. According to the party’s communications team, this was done “at the request of members.”
The discussions surrounding the motions of support and opposition to MP Haroun Bouazzi’s speech on racism were therefore held in private. At the end of the debates, the main person concerned maintained that the resolution adopted by the members “reaffirms the unity of the party and the caucus”.
The Bouazzi file shakes up the congress
The weekend’s congress was to mark a turning point for Québec solidaire, which officially elected MP Ruba Ghazal as spokesperson on Saturday. Several proposals for reforming the party’s statutes and regulations were also on the agenda.
Saturday evening, even as discussions around Mr. Bouazzi continued, Mr.me Ghazal pleaded for his party to focus more on an “open”, “positive” and “feminist” nationalist posture, without contributing to the rise in tensions over Quebec identity.
“If you are tired of identity escalation, I tell you, Québec solidaire is your home, you are welcome,” she said during a speech delivered a few moments after she had obtained the support of 91.4% of the delegates gathered in a special congress.
On Saturday afternoon, delegates also adopted a resolution allowing them to adopt affirmative action policies in the choice of their electoral candidates. According to “representativeness criteria” set by the members, the party leadership will therefore have the power to prohibit male candidates in certain nomination races.
By adopting this posture, the activists put an end to more than a year and a half of reflection on the question of parity at Québec solidaire.
This began in 2023, when, to ensure better parity in the caucus of deputies, the president of the party had suggested that the candidate in the by-election of Jean-Talon, in Quebec, be a woman .
This call to nominate accounting professor Christine Gilbert did not bear fruit, and it was a man, Olivier Bolduc, who represented the party during the election, after refusing to give up his place. Mr. Bolduc finally finished third in the supplementary ballot.
Then, in November 2023, during a congress in Gatineau, the solidarity members decided to impose female candidates in all the by-elections that would be held between now and the overhaul of the statutes — which took place this weekend. . No vote has been called since.
Delegates also approved a series of changes to their internal election processes this weekend. From now on, races for the position of spokesperson will lead to the election of a “leader within the meaning of the Election Act”, which will allow the party to raise funds and build up its membership.
About a year before the general elections, the members of Québec solidaire will also elect their candidate for the post of prime minister by universal suffrage. The person chosen will at the same time become the parliamentary leader of the party, at least until the vote.
