The candidate for the leadership contest of the Parti Quebecois (PQ) Paul St-Pierre Plamondon will put his campaign on pause for three weeks in order to take his paternity leave, he revealed in an interview with The Eastern Herald.
He and his partner want to demonstrate that it is possible to reconcile family and politics.
“I am pregnant with the second, I will give birth in about three weeks,” said her partner, Alexandra Tremblay.
“But there it is, the window, and we’ve been working for the renewal of the PQ since 2016; renewal is taking place, ”says the woman who is busy getting her life companion elected, who was in the leadership race that crowned Jean-Francois Lisee in 2016.
Already the parent of a 21-month-old girl, the couple dreams of attracting more talent and women to politics.
“I’m going to take my paternity leave. During this time, I will not give an interview. When I get home, I close the phone, and if I don’t, my wife tells me. There are many young families who will recognize themselves in this. It is legitimate to take care of giving time to your children. It is not because I am less determined or less competent because I take care of my family. If we don’t get this message across, how can we rally the next generations? How can we bring women into politics? I think we have to get it across, the message, we have to be consistent, ”says Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon.
The PQ at a crossroads
A group convinced him to dive again in an attempt to become the 16th PQ leader. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says he relies on a group of 200 supporters.
“The race is not one among many, it is the race where we will choose to write a new chapter”.
No more dithering: He undertakes to hold a referendum in a first mandate.
“Independence, we must not just talk about it, but act!” Exclaims the candidate.
“Because it’s legitimate, then you can’t always be on the defensive. We have a great project and we must put it forward with vigor, pride, dignity, and dynamism. There is no longer any reason to reject it ”.
His partner agrees.
“It’s a very big commitment. It is a very big sacrifice for the family, for the time that we will not spend with the family and financially. Paul quit his job. I’m not doing it for Paul; I do it because I believe in it! Because I think there is a window at the PQ, that it must be seized, ”explains Ms. Tremblay.
A race for four
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon suggests that there may not be four candidates at the finish line, Sylvain Gaudreault, Frederic Bastien and Guy Nantel are also in the running.
“It is not certain that it will be four!” There are the signatures, there is the funding, there is also the game of support ”, underlines the one who already has the experience of a race for the leadership of a party.
“Yes, notoriety in politics is a factor, but is it really a skill, notoriety? I think it is one factor among many, “he said, speaking of the candidate Guy Nantel.
“This campaign will focus on who, as a leader, is capable of rebuilding the PQ and embodies the future,” concludes candidate St-Pierre Plamondon.
