Longtime Quebec MP Alexandre Boulerice officially resigned his Montreal seat this week to run for Quebec solidaire in the upcoming provincial election.
A spokesperson for Boulerice confirmed the politician submitted his resignation as the MP for Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie on Tuesday. The Quebec campaign is expected to formally begin Thursday, with election day falling on Oct. 5.
Boulerice represented the NDP in the House of Commons for 15 years but left the caucus to sit as an independent in April after he formally announced his plans to run provincially in Quebec.
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The former MP said in a French emailed statement that is has been an honour to represent his community for five terms.
“We have advocated for greater social justice, better public services, more humane immigration services, and more ambitious environmental measures,” Boulerice said in the email.
“Finally, we achieved very concrete gains, such as dental care for hundreds of thousands of Quebecers and the adoption of anti-replacement worker legislation to protect workers’ rights.”
Boulerice served in several roles during his tenure as MP including deputy NDP leader under former leader Jagmeet Singh.
Boulerice was the last remaining MP from the 2011 “orange wave” which saw the NDP win 59 seats in Quebec and propel the social-democratic party to official opposition status for the first and only time in its history.
NDP Leader Avi Lewis has already been campaigning with the party’s candidate, Pierre Céré, in the riding, which was the only one the NDP held east of Manitoba.
There are three byelections scheduled for Aug. 31 in Toronto, North Vancouver and Quebec, with six others expected over the next few months to fill Boulerice’s seat and others that have been, or are soon to be vacated.
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