Jennifer Maccarone to run for Liberals in Westmount–Saint-Louis riding
Jennifer Maccarone will run as the Liberals' candidate in the Liberal stronghold of Westmount–Saint-Louis for the upcoming elections on Oct. 1.
The current president of the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) was a unanimous choice among the riding's association members, a source says. She accepted the offer Monday night.
The official announcement of her candidacy should be made later this week.
Maccarone beat out four other contenders, including Elizabeth Gomery, the daughter of retired judge John Gomery.
The riding has long been a Liberal stronghold, with current MNA Jacques Chagnon, the Speaker of the National Assembly, holding the position since 1994 when the riding was created.
Before that, he was the MNA for the riding of Saint-Louis for two terms. In June, he announced he would not be seeking reelection.
Maccarone no stranger to National Assembly
In her time as QESBA president, Maccarone was a vocal critic of Bill 86, the Liberals contentious school board reform bill.
The bill would abolish school board elections, something the QESBA strongly lobbied against.
The plan was abandoned however, soon after Sébastien Proulx was made Minister of Education in 2016.
In a June interview with CBC News, Liberal leader Philippe Couillard vowed his government would not do away with the school board elections.
"We're protecting institutions that are close to English-speaking Quebecers, like school boards," he said. "We will never abolish school boards. Let's be very clear about this."
