The Quebec provincial election is quickly making its way around the corner with voting day taking place on Monday, October 3.
According to the Élections Quebec website, there are ten candidates running in the Brome-Missisquoi region for this year’s election.
These candidates are: Isabelle Charest (Coalition avenir Québec), Pierre Fontaine (Démocratie directe), Sébastien Houle (Indépendant), Alexandre Legault (Québec solidaire), Lynn Moore (Canadian Party of Québec), Caitlin Moynan (Green Party), Guillaume Paquet (Parti québécois), Stéphanie Prévost (Parti conservateur du Québec), Tommy Quirion-Bouchard (Climat Québec), and Claude Vadeboncoeur (Quebec Liberal Party).
For the next week and half, CIDI 99.1 FM is sitting down with candidates who will speak on their political platform and the issues they plan to address in the Brome-Missisquoi riding and at the provincial level.
We first had the chance to sit down with Quebec Liberal Party Candidate (QLP) Claude Vadeboncoeur, a former military officer whom also has an extensive background working alongside the United Nations as a civilian and then as a safety, security, and governance advisor for different departments.
“ I decided to run in the first place because I saw a need to change the way Quebec was governed. I wanted to continue serving the population, I’ve always been working in service to my country, to the United Nations, and now to my riding and region,” said Vadeboncoeur.
Vadeboncoeur noted that while the QLP has a national platform, at the regional level he plans to focus on the protection and expansion of the Brome-Missisquoi Perkins Hospital (BMP Hospital).
“It’s emergency ward is being overworked as we speak. They are always at 150% to 190% capacity. We are stretching the elastic and that won’t last too long. We need to have more doctors in that ward, we need to protect BMP and we want to make sure that BMP can develop and provide more services where more services are needed,” explained Vadeboncoeur.
He also plans to address the controversial language law Bill 96 at the local and provincial level. This includes the notwithstanding clause, the six-month time limit for immigrants to learn French, and student’s access to the educational institution in the language of their choice.
“I want to make sure that the population here receives the services they need in their language and that is not to say that we are in favour of French bashing, quite the contrary. I think both of them are complementary,” mentioned Vadeboncoeur.
Other issues at the top of his list for the Brome-Missisquoi region include protecting the environment through agriculture, particularly in the western sector of the riding, food autonomy, and food proximity.
At the provincial level, Vadeboncoeur explained that he wants to ensure that immigrants who come to Quebec have the opportunity to “work to their full potential” and that their diploma is recognized in their field of study, that retirees have the support to re-enter the workforce if they need to, and he plans to address the housing crisis.
“There are a lot of local initiatives already. I know we have a major one in Sutton, I know there are others in Bromont, throughout the riding, of local organizations that have plans and projects to build affordable housing. We just need to properly support that and to make sure through proper rules and regulations we can support their endeavour,” noted Vadeboncoeur.
He also wants to focus on lowering income taxes for low-income and middle class families and individuals, ridding the Quebec Sales Tax on necessary goods, such as toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and affordable daycare.
“We have a vast array of programs that will help with giving more breathing room to all the people in Brome-Missisquoi and the province at large,” emphasized Vadeboncoeur.
Listen to the full interview below: