Election roundup: Westmount–Saint-Louis riding

Westmount–Saint-Louis

The Westmount–Saint-Louis riding includes the City of Westmount, most of downtown, and part of Plateau-Mont-Royal. It has been a Liberal stronghold for generations, except in 1989 when Westmount voted for the then-fledgling Equality Party.

The riding has a population of 86,250, with 52,574 electors. Almost 50 per cent of the riding is Anglophone, 26 per cent Francophone, and the rest Allophone.

Jennifer Maccarone: Incumbent MNA Jennifer Maccarone handily won the 2018 election after Jacques Chagnon retired from political life. She won again in 2022 with just over 50 per cent of the vote.

Maccarone is Chief Official Opposition Whip, and Official Opposition Critic for Public Security, the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community, as well as for the Mauricie and Laval regions. Her priorities are the construction of a new elementary school, an adult education centre, and new social housing. As the single mom of two adults living on the autism spectrum, Maccarone has always lent her voice to improving services and raising awareness for the autism community.

Karim Abi Haila (Coalition Avenir Québec) is a graduate of Université de Montréal with a BA in Political Science. He has been living in the riding for more than seven years, and has held several positions in the Coalition Avenir Québec, including political attaché. Haila is “a committed and pragmatic nationalist.”

Guy Diotte (Conservative Party of Quebec) has 25 years of experience in the technical, commercial, and entrepreneurial fields, including import and distribution. He believes “a strong economy and a more efficient government are essential to Quebec’s prosperity.”

Victoria Piscina (Parti Québécois) moved to Quebec from France six years ago to work in the audiovisual industry and as a voiceover actor. She recently obtained her Canadian citizenship and “now wishes to participate in the Quebec democratic debate to highlight all the reasons why Quebec should become an independent country,” the party website reads. “There is no better political force,” she’s said of the PQ, “to champion the independence project and bring it to fruition.”

Olivier Sylvestre is a fairly new QS candidate. His platform was not yet available by press time. n