MONTREAL – About 16 years ago, the most famous words out of her mouth were crooning “what the hell am I doing drinking in L.A?” on the song of the same name — a breakthrough hit for Bran Van 3000. But now, Stéphane Moraille is running in a federal by-election for the riding of Bourassa. And she’s already making waves by publicly calling out her Liberal opponent as belonging to a members-only club in her campaign posters.
“Their interpretation of our cheekiness was that of absolute threat: how dare she?” Moraille said at a media conference.
READ MORE: Byelection 2013 results: Bourassa, Brandon-Souris, Provencher and Toronto-Centre
She looks at the working-class riding and wonders why it has been a Liberal stronghold for 16 years.
“It would make so much sense that you would elect an MP whose party line concerns people who have needs,” she said.
The Liberal MP here was Denis Coderre, who stepped down to run in Montreal’s mayoral race, creating the vacant seat. It was considered a prime target of the Green Party, who was hoping to gain a second seat in Parliament with candidate Georges Laraque, a former Montreal Canadien. Laraque cancelled plans to run after being charged with corruption crimes, charges he has denied.
About a third of the riding’s populace are immigrants, meaning their focused on bread-and-butter issues.
“Especially for economic,” said Emanuel Dubourg, a former MNA who’s running for the Liberals. “People in this riding have a lot of problems.”
It is one of four ridings up for grabs nationwide when by-elections occur Monday. Analysts are looking at it as a bellwether of signs of the NDP’s chances going forward. The Liberals, who’ve been favoured here, are hoping to staunch the NDP’s 2011 breakthrough.
“It has to stay a Liberal riding,” Dubourg said. “This is the first step for 2015.”
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