PIERREFONDS – Nicole Baur is a West Island resident who sums up her election priorities fairly succinctly.
“Separation, the referendum. That concerns me,” she said.
Baur votes in the riding of Nelligan, which includes Ile-Bizard, Kirkland and most of Pierrefonds-Roxboro.
With the rhetoric surrounding Quebec sovereignty reaching a fever pitch in the build-up to the election, the Liberals are positioned as the “counter-sovereignty” party.
“We have the choice between referendum and separation, or a government that will focus on the economy and jobs and health,” said Martin Coiteux, the Liberal candidate in the riding.
He is vying to take the seat vacated by Yolande James, the popular minister who stepped down last month. While James took about two-thirds of the vote last election, the riding is traditionally considered a Liberal stronghold.
But sovereignty is a macro-issue that is masking several micro-issues in this election, especially in areas where residents feel underserved by public services. CAQ candidate Albert Bitton is hoping voters connect with a message outside the federalist-sovereignty debate.
“The number one priority on the streets is obviously the economy and jobs,” he said. “If you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got.”
Some voters tend to agree.
“I think for a lot of Quebeckers the economy is one of the most important things,” said Mike Herriot, a new voter. “Some people, when they put language in the forefront, forget about the economy, jobs, health care, those things.”
Baur has another bullet-point to add.
“I’d say public transport,” she said. “I’ve only been here a few years and I’ve noticed it’s not as easy as I thought it was.”
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