Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – Marc Bélanger, a candidate for the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) leadership, became the first contender to visit Gaspé in the race leading up to the June 14 leadership election.. 

A lawyer and tax expert, Mr. Bélanger says he is running out of conviction and wants to put the regions back at the forefront of Quebec politics. 

Originally from Matane, Marc Bélanger worked for 25 years in international trade. On the political level, he was a candidate in Matapédia-Matane in 2000, a campaign that caught the attention of former Liberal leader Paul Martin. 

He later worked with Michael Ignatieff, but much of his political career has been behind the scenes. Now, with the mounting economic challenges and the “unfortunate” situation of the Quebec economy, he feels like it is the time to step into the spotlight. 

“I look at the leaflets I made in 2000 and I find that what I was saying about the regions is the same reality today. Yet, there have been major changes. Quebec hasn’t exploited its natural resources properly and hasn’t made the international shift,” says the man who has traveled to 70 countries. 

“We’re afraid to invest. We’re cutting back everywhere, especially in the regions, but people aren’t looking at the revenue. No one talks about enriching Quebec. That’s where I stand out,” says Mr. Bélanger, who visited Gaspé and Grande-Rivière during his tour on March 15 and 16. 

He’s not afraid to reignite the debate on Quebec’s oil and gas industry.  “I say: there is a way to enrich Quebec.” This can be done in two ways. We’re going to stop leaving billions of dollars in our underground resources, for example, with natural gas. We’re going to exploit these resources and generate revenue for Quebec. The second thing is international trade. Everyone’s talking about diversifying markets. In 2002, I talked about market diversification. I explained how to change our relationship with the United States to move towards emerging markets

“We have golden opportunities in Africa, but the government doesn’t support them. No one knows how to achieve market diversification,” explains Mr. Bélanger. 

Regarding oil, particularly in the Gaspé Peninsula, social acceptability is a challenge.  The Quebec government even put a lid on exploration.  “Social acceptability must be regional because sometimes you have interest groups that come from Montreal and impose themselves in the sector. There’s one thing we have to explain: if we develop our natural resources, we’ll do it on our terms.” If we let the Americans come and exploit our natural resources, because they’ll have needs, they’ll come and exert economic pressure, they won’t do it in a context as environmentally friendly as ours. Let’s do it according to our own standards,” Mr. Bélanger said. 

He cites the example that Quebec isn’t obligated to go to Anticosti (for oil drillings), suggesting it can go to places where it will be easier. 

Like the government, the Liberal candidate believes that we can protect the caribou and our economic interests. “It’s important to protect the caribou, but I’m not ready to suffocate them economically. Currently, the measures we’re taking are too drastic. We’re capable of striking a better balance. I don’t want to kill the regional economy because of the caribou. I want to protect the environment to a certain extent. It’s a question of balance,” Mr. Bélanger said. 

He doesn’t believe in his lack of visibility, particularly compared to Pablo Rodriguez or Charles Milliard. “What’s important is not to have a content deficit. I stand out from my opponents in terms of content. It’s in June, and it’s the members who vote. The question is, am I known to the members? That’s the work to be done, and there will be debates,” he says. 

Mr. Bélanger points out that he was second in the polls when Denis Coderre was sidelined in the race. “When members see who has the best chance of convincing people in the regions to turn to the Liberal Party, it will have an impact,” says Mr. Bélanger. 

The deadline to submit a nomination is April 11. Following that, four debates will be held between now and June 8. The vote will be held from June 9 to 14. The leader will be chosen on June 14.