Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Gaspé Peninsula will finally be heard in the challenge of elected officials from the Laurentians and Centre-du-Québec who are seeking to cancel the law that suspends the process of reforming the electoral map. 

The court accepted the request of the elected officials of the region during a hearing in Saint-Jérôme, in the Laurentians, on November 27. 

“The court accepted that the Gaspésie be an integral part of the upcoming judicial start. It was the first fight that we had to give. We received 100% of what we asked for: we wanted a so-called conservative intervention. That is to say, to be able to produce evidence and hear witnesses when we get to the debate on the merits,” explains Daniel Côté, spokesperson for the electoral map file for the Table des préfets de la Gaspésie. 

Mr. Côte who is also the mayor of Gaspé points out that the proposal for the new electoral map would result in the Gaspésie losing a riding. 

“I have nothing against Drummondville, but the new map would give the city of Drummondville and the surrounding villages three members of the National Assembly while Gaspésie would only have one member. That’s what doesn’t make sense in the current debate,” says the mayor, who once again refers to effective representation, a principle that is not defined in the electoral law. 

“That’s what the Carter decision of the Supreme Court said in 1991: it’s about something other than one voter, one vote. It is also the geographical area, the administrative boundaries, belonging to the territory, and access to the members of the National Assembly. This is the kind of thing that must be taken into account and the electoral law should be written down in black and white. I think that is what the National Assembly wanted to do by suspending the process,” Mr. Côté adds. 

According to him, the judge who heard the case was a great listener and understood the issue. “In her opinion, not hearing from Gaspésie didn’t make sense. Just being heard by the court, being able to support an argument that will probably support that of the Attorney General of Quebec by providing regional insight, will give a boost to the debate,” he believes. 

The hearing on the merits will likely be held next May. “This is the kind of constitutional case that could end up before the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court. It could happen that we have years of legal debate,” says the mayor. 

The elected officials of the Laurentides and Centre-du-Québec were requesting, while waiting for the substantive debate, an interlocutory injunction to suspend the Act that suspended the revision of the map. 

A decision could be rendered soon on the injunction or the judge will give the time when she plans to do so. 

“If the judge does not grant the interlocutory injunction, we will wait a few more months before having a legal debate. This is time gained for the National Assembly to consider the revision of the Election Act,” continued the mayor. 

On May 2, 2024, the National Assembly of Quebec, in a unanimous vote, adopted the Act to interrupt the process of delimitation of electoral districts. 

The commission suggested merging the ridings of Gaspé and Bonaventure, bringing together the MRCs of Côte-de-Gaspé, Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure and Avignon to create Gaspé-Bonaventure, while Haute-Gaspésie would be transferred to the riding of Matane-Matapédia in the Lower St. Lawrence region.