Trudeau hand-picking candidate in Montreal byelection riles aspiring contenders

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s determination to hand-pick a campaigner for a riding successful an upcoming Montreal byelection isn’t being well-received by 3 aspiring contenders who spent months campaigning.

The Liberals announced Montreal metropolis Coun. Laura Palestini past week arsenic nan party’s campaigner successful a byelection whose day has yet to beryllium announced for nan riding of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun.

Three aspiring candidates — a section schoolhouse commissioner, an entrepreneur, and a erstwhile Quebec Liberal statement organizer — denounced nan decision, pinch 1 calling it “anti-democratic, 100 per cent.”

Liberal run co-chair Soraya Martinez Ferrada says it was Trudeau’s determination to forestall statement members from choosing nan campaigner and to alternatively prime Palestini, who represents nan LaSalle borough connected Montreal metropolis council.

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The Liberals person won nan riding successful each 3 elections since it was created, pinch erstwhile justness curate David Lametti re-elected pinch 42.9 per cent of nan ballot successful 2021.

Lametti resigned connected Jan. 31, aft he was excluded from Trudeau’s furniture successful past summer’s reshuffle.