Parti Québécois steps up security for weekend political council

Article content

DRUMMONDVILLE — Faced with recent threats against its leader, the Parti Québécois has stepped up security measures for its two-day national council.

For the first time since the period after the attacks on its leader, Pauline Marois, after the 2012 general election, the 500 persons attending the council were asked to go through metal detectors on their arrival at the hotel where the event is taking place.

Article content

Article content

The decision was made in conjunction with the Sûreté du Québec, which is responsible for the safety of Quebec’s elected officials, the PQ’s director of communications, Laura Chouinard-Thuly, told reporters.

She mentioned three factors: the generalized increase in threats against elected officials, the history of threats against the PQ and the recent surge in public support for the party that has made it a target.

There were no complaints from party members who were only briefly delayed by the measures that are usually only in place for political events organized by the governing Coalition Avenir Québec where the premier is present.

“We’re just doing what we ought to do in terms of best practices,” PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon told reporters later when arriving for the council. “In an ideal world, I would prefer we not have those security aspects, but if the SQ tells us this is what we think you should be doing we want to be responsible to everyone.”

In March, St-Pierre Plamondon confirmed he had received threats against him and his family. A man in the greater Montreal region was later arrested by the Sûreté du Québec in relations to threats against a member of the National Assembly.

Article content

Article content

Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy also received threats in 2022.

This week, the CAQ government tabled legislation to better protect Quebec politicians  — MNAs, mayors and municipal counsellors. Threatening politicians could lead to fines as high as $1,500 once the bill is adopted.

The PQ leader’s comments came as his party, which is leading in the polls, meets for two days. The theme of the weekend is the housing crisis with delegates set to debate a package of resolutions designed to increase available housing and offer more protection to renters.

Meeting reporters, St-Pierre Plamondon said he believes there is a direct link between the rising number of temporary immigrants in Quebec and housing shortages.

He called on the CAQ government to take immediate action in the form of a freeze on the number of temporary immigrants Quebec admits in the categories it controls. That includes temporary workers and students.

St-Pierre Plamondon said there would be an exception for persons such as temporary farm labourers who have already applied for admission and are needed by agricultural producers.

Article content

He noted in 2016 Quebec had 80,000 temporary immigrants, but the number has grown today to 560,000.

“Can we allow this to go to 800,000?” he asked. “Absolutely not. Something has to be done. It’s not true we can keep our arms crossed but, unfortunately, this is what the CAQ is doing.

“There is an imbalance, which is accentuating, and there are politicians in Quebec and Ottawa who think by letting these numbers grow things will sort themselves out.”

Among the resolutions to be debated, one says, if elected, a PQ government would finance the construction of 45,000 housing units, including 10,000 for students, over five years.

A PQ government would commit itself to transform and sell unoccupied government buildings to create more housing. It would also allow municipalities to adopt “incentive zoning,” to develop more projects.

pauthier@postmedia.com

twitter.com/philipauthier

Article content

Article content