(Quebec) At the heart of a controversy for almost a week, Quebec Solidaire MP Haroun Bouazzi announced that he was taking “a few days” of leave to take care of himself.
Posted at 5:43 p.m.
“The last few days have been trying, especially for my family. I am going to take a few days to take care of myself and be by the side of my wife and my children,” Mr. Bouazzi said on social media late Wednesday afternoon.
The day before, the National Assembly condemned the remarks that the deputy made. He affirmed that he observed “every day the construction of this Other”, whether North African, Muslim, black and indigenous, and whose culture “would be dangerous and inferior”.
For many minutes, Mr. Bouazzi, impassive, was lectured by deputies from the Liberal Party, the Parti Québécois and the Coalition Avenir Québec, with the tacit agreement of his colleagues from Québec Solidaire.
The unprecedented scene was the culmination of a controversy that began last Thursday, and which overshadowed the election of Ruba Ghazal as co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire on Saturday, during the party’s congress.
Shortly before question period on Tuesday, the member for Maurice-Richard presented apologies on the X network to ministers Christian Dubé and Lionel Carmant for what he described as “clumsiness”.
“Difficult day”
“I reaffirm my commitment to working alongside my colleagues in the solidarity caucus […]I join them in saying that I do not consider that the National Assembly and its members are racist,” wrote the main person concerned. “Next, I would like to particularly assure my parliamentary colleagues Lionel Carmant and Christian Dubé of my esteem […] I apologize for this awkwardness,” he added.
In the morning, Québec solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal emphasized that with “the difficult day at the office that Mr. Bouazzi experienced,” he had been absent to “take a step back and rest.” Later in the day, the party indicated that the person who occupies the position of financial critic would not participate in the press briefing to react to the economic update that the Legault government will present on Thursday.
With the collaboration of Fanny Lévesque, The Press
