PQ leader defends Arthabaska byelection candidate’s activist past

Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon during question period at the legislature in Quebec City, Tuesday, April 8, 2025 (Jacques Boissinot / The Canadian Press)

Parti Québécois (PQ) Leader Paul St-Pierre-Plamondon is defending his candidate in Arthabaska, journalist Alex Boissonneault, after a salvo of attacks from Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) Leader Éric Duhaime concerning his activist past.

On Monday, the PQ confirmed Boissonneault’s candidacy. He used to host the morning show Première heure in Quebec City.

Duhaime, who is hoping to win his National Assembly seat in Arthabaska, was quick to attack Boissonneault, who was arrested at the age of 22 during the 2001 Summit of the Americas protests.

“Did Mr. Plamondon know that Mr. Boissonneault had been found guilty of conspiracy to commit a misdemeanour? Does Mr. Plamondon consider that the 40 days Mr .Boissonneault spent in jail erase his crime?” said Duhaime.

St-Pierre-Plamondon took to social media Tuesday morning to say he was aware his candidate had been arrested, but stressed he “had not been sentenced to jail.”

He added that his “youthful error” was having smoke devices, which were not intended to hurt anyone, he maintained.

“I have taken note of the fact that he obtained a full pardon in 2011, and that he has been doing exemplary work as a journalist for 18 years now,” said St-Pierre-Plamondon.

“Not only does he have an exemplary professional record, recognized by his peers and the general public, he has also been an exemplary citizen since the incident. What’s more, his employer, Radio-Canada, was fully aware of the facts, including when he was working on Parliament Hill and when he was given his microphone on Première heure.”

According to 98.5 radio, Boissonneault was part of a radical group whose aim was to breach a fence protecting certain areas of the summit.

According to the station, he was arrested before committing the offence and spent 41 days in jail as a preventive measure.

He was then sentenced to six months of community service, according to 98.5.

‘A new chapter’

Boissonneault spoke out for the first time on Tuesday morning since announcing his candidacy.

In a Facebook post, he confirmed that a “new chapter was beginning” for him, even though he said he was still enjoying his job.

“Sometimes, opportunities arise to serve in a different way, and you want to hop on the train as it passes by the station. Precisely because you believe in public service, but on a different level,” he said.

He did not address Duhaime’s attacks or the revelations on 98.5.

The byelection in Arthabaska has not yet been officially called, and Premier François Legault has until September to do so.

The seat was vacated when former Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) MNA Eric Lefebvre jumped into federal politics and was elected in Richmond-Arthabaska with the Conservative Party of Canada last month.

Poll aggregator Qc125 predicts a very tight three-way race between the CAQ, the PQ and the Conservatives.

At a press briefing in Nicolet on Monday, Legault seemed in no hurry to launch the election.

“Like all governments, we have six months to call an election. There’s the summer, so what’s the best time to get the most people out to vote? I think it’s been about a month since he left, so it’s going to be in the next five months,” said the premier.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French May 13, 2025.