Incumbent New Democrat Pierre Nantel has been dropped from the federal party’s candidate roster after it was learned the Québec MP for the riding of Longueuil–Saint-Hubert was in talks to change teams.
Incumbent New Democrat Pierre Nantel has been dropped from the federal party’s candidate roster after it was learned the Québec MP for the riding of Longueuil–Saint-Hubert was in talks to change teams.
“Given confirmed reports that Pierre Nantel…is in discussions with another party to run under their banner, he has been removed as the NDP candidate,” said Melissa Bruno, the party’s national director in a brief statement issued late Friday afternoon.
“The NDP will start the process of nominating a candidate in the riding of Longueuil – Saint-Hubert so that people in the riding can elect an MP that is on their side and will put their interests first.”
Nantel’s ejection comes hours after former Québec MNA and media personality Bernard Drainville tweeted that via “anonymous sources” he learned the New Democrat was in talks with The Green Party.
Nantel did not respond to The Post Millennial‘s request for comment about the recent turn of events. As well, the Green Party has neither confirmed nor denied Nantel’s alleged intentions: TPM will update this story as more information becomes available.
First elected to Parliament in 2011 – a landslide over his nearest rival Jean Dorion of the Bloc Québecois – Nantel’s 2015 win was a much tighter race, with barely 700 votes separating him from second-place Liberal challenger Mick O’Grady.
Nantel’s departure from the New Democrats means the party has just 148 candidates for 338 ridings with fewer than 10 weeks before the October 21st federal election.
As for Green Party electoral fortunes in Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, the party finished a distant fifth in 2015, garnering just 1,447 votes.
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