Lawyers are defending Gaspé’s political clout, which is threatened by the redesign of the federal electoral map that sees the region losing one of its four MPs.

This redistribution leads to “an unacceptable loss of political weight in our regions and also represents a violation of our political and democratic rights,” pleads Herr^e Alexis Deschênes, who has filed a petition in federal court for judicial review with the organization Rights Collectives Quebec (DCQ).

“This matter touches the heart of our democracy,” said Daniel Turp, President of DCQ. At stake is both the ability of citizens to be properly represented in Canada’s House of Commons and Quebec’s political clout within a federation where it is becoming increasingly difficult for the country to assert its interests.

On June 23, the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission presented its final report in the House of Commons.

It provides for the abolition of an equestrian sport in Gaspésie, Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia, represented since 2019 by Kristina Michaud, deputy of the Bloc Québécois. This area would be reallocated to the two neighboring districts represented by the Conservative Party and the Bloc Québécois

Despite its size, Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia is the most sparsely populated area in all of Quebec, which strongly influenced the Commission’s decision. The decision is scheduled to come into force in April 2024.

But^e Deschênes, a former candidate of the Parti Québécois in the region and a resident of the Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia district, has no intention of taking this without a fight. He is asking for an order to be issued to overturn the commission’s decision and keep the current ballot card in place.

demographics

Between 2011 and 2021, Quebec’s population increased from 7,903,001 residents to 8,501,833. In Montreal, however, six other Ridings lost residents, mostly in remote areas.

For Me Deschêne and MNA Kristina Michaud, it is obvious that the Ridings of eastern Quebec will never be able to compete with those of the major centers given the population growth in the coming years, but that does not deprive them of the right to be fairly represented. In this regard, they are concerned about the quality of services offered to the people of the region.

“We have the right to effective representation in the House of Commons and that includes taking into account our particular geography, our history, our communities of interest and the demographic changes that are taking place in our regions,” argues the Gaspesian lawyer.

Overall, Quebec’s population is growing at a slower rate than the rest of the country. British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario must win a total of five seats in 2024.