Québec Solidaire, a left-leaning party dedicated to Quebec independence and social programs, is looking to boost its presence in the province and at the National Assembly this election season.
The party held three of 125 seats before the government was dissolved on August 23, officially kicking off the 39-day election campaign.
The party also comes into the campaign with strong support from the Quebec labour movement, with union leaders having launched attack ads against the CAQ and Liberals, arguing the parties are anti-worker.
Here is what you need to know about Québec Solidaire ahead of the 2018 provincial election.
Slogan
Québec Solidaire has opted for a one-word motto for the election campaign, referring to its populist base.
It is ”Populaire” or “Popular.”
Party leader
Québec Solidaire doesn’t have a traditional party structure with a single leader. Instead, it has two spokespeople: Manon Massé and Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
Massé was born in Windsor, Ont., on May 22, 1963.
Before she joined politics, Massé was known for her involvement as a community organizer and activist in Montreal and the surrounding areas.
In 1996, she worked at the YMCA in the Hochelaga neighbourhood and in 2002, she took on the role of general co-ordinator at the Fédération des femmes du Québec.
In 2006, Massé became the first candidate to run for Québec Solidaire. She ran again in 2007, 2008 and 2012 without success before she was elected in 2014 in the riding of Sainte-Marie–Saint-Jacques.
Québec Solidaire’s male co-spokesperson, Nadeau-Dubois, was born on May 31, 1990, in Montreal.
He rose to prominence in Quebec as one of the most outspoken figures during the 2012 Quebec student protests. The former student leader went on to become a union adviser and author while earning his master’s degree at the Université du Québec à Montréal.
In 2017, Nadeau-Dubois announced he would run in the byelection for the Gouin riding in Montreal. He won by a landslide, giving Québec Solidaire three seats in the National Assembly.
READ MORE: March organized by Quebec Solidaire calls for health minister’s resignation
WATCH: Quebec identity, immigration and asylum seekers are likely to be major election issues during this fall’s campaign.
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