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Denis Coderre is quitting municipal politics, after 2nd mayoral defeat – CBC.ca

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Denis Coderre is quitting municipal politics — again — and will not be the leader of the opposition at city hall.

Coderre announced his decision Friday following a closed-door meeting with members of his party, Ensemble Montréal, at a community centre in the city’s Villeray neighbourhood.

He failed to win back his former spot as the mayor of Montreal during last Sunday’s municipal elections, losing to incumbent Valérie Plante by 14 percentage points, an even wider margin than when she defeated him in 2017.

Coderre told a group of reporters that after 40 years in politics, it was time to move on for good.

He also said he felt the latest municipal campaign was a referendum on his personality, instead of the parties’ platforms.

“In the end, it wasn’t about the issues, it was about me,” he said.

Four years ago, Coderre also stepped away from his party, which was called Équipe Denis Coderre, but was rebranded as Ensemble Montréal after he left.

His departure leaves a leadership void in the opposition at city hall.

The previous opposition leader, Lionel Perez, who is also a member of Ensemble Montréal, lost his bid to become borough mayor of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce in Sunday’s election.

Last March, Coderre released a book called Retrouver Montréal, which he touted as his vision for the city, while announcing he would once again run for mayor.

For much of the campaign, opinion polls suggested a tight race between Plante and Coderre, who emphasized the importance of economic development and public safety during his mayoral run.

In the final week, the veteran politician and former federal cabinet minister came under criticism for initially refusing to disclose the consulting work he did prior to confirming his candidacy.

WATCH | Denis Coderre explains why he is leaving politics:

Denis Coderre quits politics after another municipal election loss

18 hours ago

Denis Coderre met with the reporters to explain his decision to quit politics and step down as the leader of Ensemble Montréal. 0:41

When asked why he believes he lost two consecutive elections to Plante, Coderre did not provide a direct answer.

“I was not running against Valérie Plante, I was running for Montreal,” he said, echoing something he said several times during the campaign.

Parting shots for Plante, low voter turnout

While addressing the media, the longtime politician took a few digs at the current mayor and leader of Projet Montréal.

“Unfortunately, during this campaign, we didn’t really talk about the [Plante administration’s] last four years,” he said. “I have the impression that environment [policies] from Projet Montréal was copying word for word many of our ideas.”

During his concession speech last Sunday, Coderre said the race “one of the dirtiest campaigns” he had ever experienced. On Friday, he reiterated his belief that his camp ran a clean campaign that focused on issues.

Coderre said he reached out to Plante in the days following her victory and congratulated her. He also insists he is not bitter about the election loss.

He also lamented the low voter turnout in the city, which was around 38 per cent.

“[Montreal] is starting to look like a “big school board,” he said, in reference to the extremely low voter turnout for school board elections.

In a statement, Plante described her two-time opponent as someone who cares about the city, wished him well in his future endeavours, and said her administration would “offer its full collaboration” to the person who succeeds him as leader of the official opposition.

The race for Montreal’s city hall in 2021 was a rematch between Valérie Plante and Denis Coderre. (Jean-Claude Taliana/Radio-Canada)

What’s next for Coderre?

Despite another convincing election loss, Coderre said he is encouraged by his party’s prospects, adding that he feels confident that Ensemble Montréal has “four or five potential candidates” that could become the city’s next mayor.

“We are the true alternative [to Projet Montréal],” he said. “I feel good about the team, I feel good about the people who are elected who are doing a great job.”

He did not specify what his plans were moving forward. He did say he would try to find different ways to make the city better, even if his career as a politician is over.

“I will contribute to the development of Montreal in other ways,” he said. “We have to make room for other generations.”

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Youri Chassin quits CAQ to sit as Independent, second member to leave this month

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Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.

He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.

In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.

Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.

He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.

Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.

He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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‘I’m not going to listen to you’: Singh responds to Poilievre’s vote challenge

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MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.

“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.

“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”

Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”

“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.

“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”

While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.

“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.

Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.

Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.

“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.

New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.

The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.

It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.

While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.

Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.

He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.

Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.

The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.

With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.

The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.

The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Social media comments blocked: Montreal mayor says she won’t accept vulgar slurs

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Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.

She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.

Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.

They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.

However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.

Her statement on X is closed to comments.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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