“Bouazzi Affair”: QS finds a way through

Divided on the follow-up to be given to the controversial remarks made by MP Haroun Bouazzi on the subject of racism in the National Assembly, the delegates of Québec solidaire (QS) adopted an emergency motion sparing the goat and the cabbage, Sunday, at the very end of a congress whose debates were overshadowed by this affair.

The resolution – which was debated behind closed doors, away from journalists – was adopted by a strong majority votes, the party said, once the vote was completed.

This wording actually stems from two emergency resolutions – one to support the member for Maurice-Richard, the other to invite QS to distance themselves from his comments – which were merged by the party leadership into a single, more consensual motion.

According to spokespersons Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and Ruba Ghazal, who met the media at the end of the day on Sunday after canceling a first press briefing which was to take place in the morning, this decision by the delegates closes a congress whose results remain despite everything positiveaccording to them.

The party, ultimately, will not demand that Mr. Bouazzi apologize, Mr. Nadeau-Dubois said.

We are, according to the latest news, in a society of free expressionhe blurted out.

Four days of controversy

The future of Mr. Bouazzi within the caucus of QS was uncertain since the publication, Thursday, of a column in the Montreal Journal highlighting remarks made by the MP at the beginning of the month before the Club Avenir Foundation, a OSBL working for the integration of Maghreb communities into the host society.

The main person concerned then stated that he was every day witness to the National Assembly of remarks aimed at build the Other – maghrébin, Muslim, noir, indigenous – and its culture which, by definition, would be dangerous or inferior.

These remarks, presented a posteriori as “pedagogy” by Mr. Bouazzi, had notably aroused the ire of his political adversaries, but also of the spokespersons of his own party, who had described them as clumsyd’exaggerated and of polarizing.

All the deputies questioned on the subject on Saturday also said they agreed with the initial reaction of Mr. Nadeau-Dubois and Ms. Ghazal.

The caucus will, however, have to respect the decision of Congress, stressed the male spokesperson for QSSunday.

The core of our thinking has not changed, but now, the members have decided the position which is that of Québec solidaire and which everyone must defend, [y compris] all deputieshe said.

Bouazzi is delighted with the turn of events

Haroun Bouazzi reacted on X after the adoption of the resolution on him to say that he was very happy that the delegates of QS have reaffirmed the party’s commitment to the fight against systemic racism and that they have reproved the unjustified exploitation of immigrants in public debate.

He also thanked them for their support, he who has received numerous hate messages since the media coverage of his controversial remarks.

The spontaneous support I received from the members and the way they responded [mobilisés] to find the best way to express their support these last few days has moved and energized medeclared Mr. Bouazzi, adding that, according to him, this emergency proposal reaffirmed party and caucus unity.

PSPP accuse QS not to have no respect for facts

It is not said, however, that the matter will not continue to be debated.

Passing through Victoriaville, where his party’s national council was held at the end of the week, PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon notably criticized Haroun Bouazzi on Saturday for using a “defamatory technique” in order to make political groups inaccessible. like his.

On Sunday, he also accused QS not to have no respect for factsvisibly irritated that the day after the American elections, two weeks ago, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois criticized him for being worried about the possible arrival in Quebec of millions of migrants by the time Donald Trump takes office in January.

Consider the possibility that there is a migratory wave [quand] our American neighbor, the president, says that this is what is coming, how is that negative? Is clinging to truth and facts negative?

The Bouazzi affair will in any case have overshadowed the congress of QS throughout the weekend, including when Ruba Ghazal was officially elected the party’s female spokesperson.

The partisan rally, which began Friday, ended abruptly Sunday afternoon to make way for debate on the emergency resolution. The exercise aimed to review the party’s statutes. It notably led to the creation of a National Commission for Racialized People.

The delegates also voted on Sunday to allow the organization of internal referendums whose results will have the force of decisions and to maintain in place the party collectives, such as that of National Option, which some wanted to see transformed into political action committees.

We’re not quite finished, but there are big pieces that have been adopted, and that makes me pretty proudconcluded MP Manon Massé on Sunday evening.