Youri Chassin blocks fast-track bill for 2 Quebec ridings
Youri Chassin blocked the fast-track adoption of a Quebec bill that would raise the number of electoral districts from 125 to 127. The Saint-Jérôme deputy, now an independent former Coalition Avenir Québec member, voted against the accelerated procedure on Thursday afternoon, delaying the bill's entry into force.
Roberge Tables Bill
Jean-François Roberge tabled the bill on Thursday morning under the title visant à assurer la représentation effective des électeurs. He said the measure would maintain Bonaventure and Anjou–Louis-Riel while creating Bellefeuille and Marie-Lacoste-Gérin-Lajoie.
Roberge tied the bill to a broader adjustment of Quebec's map, saying the province has added about 2 million residents since 1989, the last time it added electoral districts. He also said he did not think anyone would judge the creation of two new ridings after that population increase to be unreasonable.
Chassin Opposes Map Change
Chassin told the government in an email message that it had no authority to draw the electoral map. “[Le gouvernement] n’a pas le pouvoir de dessiner la carte électorale. Ce n’est pas sa job ! Il n’en a ni le pouvoir, ni la légitimité,” he wrote. His vote stopped the accelerated adoption that the government and the opposition wanted on Thursday.
Maïté Blanchette Vézina was the only elected official in the government and opposition camp who had publicly opposed the planned redistricting before Thursday, but she was absent from Parliament because of a family impediment. With her out, Chassin became the lone active opponent in the chamber.
National Assembly Deadline
The cabinet of Jean-François Roberge said the project was compromised after Chassin's opposition. The National Assembly had essentially eight days to adopt all remaining bills, and this one also included a committee to study electoral representation in Quebec.
The bill came after a 2024 law meant to keep Bonaventure and Anjou–Louis-Riel was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada. The government was therefore trying again to settle a map that affects which ridings stay, which new ones are created, and how quickly the change can move through the legislature.
