Members of Québec solidaire (QS) voted Saturday in favour of granting an exception to the party’s rules in the riding of Gouin, allowing a man to seek the nomination there.
The party said 74 per cent of its members gathered at QS’s closed-door national council supported the proposal.
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The Journal de Montréal reported Tuesday that Alexandre Boulerice, the NDP MNA for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, is interested in running for the left-wing party in the seat currently held by former QS co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
However, QS has decided that women or non-binary candidates will be required in currently held seats in the next election, making a vote on the matter necessary.
A portion of the text submitted to members said “a left-wing man, who shares the values of Québec solidaire and is rooted in the riding, has expressed interest in seeking the nomination for Québec solidaire.”
This week, QS co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal would not confirm whether the exception was specifically for Boulerice. She also said it would be the only exception.
“I’m very pleased with the result of the vote,” Ghazal said in a statement Saturday. “It’s a strong choice that will allow us to build an inspiring and experienced QS team for 2026. And I’m proud that Québec solidaire is a leader when it comes to gender parity in politics. As the saying goes, it’s the exception that proves the rule.”
“This bodes well for grassroots mobilization. We can say today that Québec solidaire will be able to surprise people in the next election,” added QS’s male co-spokesperson Sol Zanetti.
— With files from Thomas Laberge
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
