A member of the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) is issuing an apology for remarks he made at the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, where he suggested that Quebec residents supporting vaccines should be put to death. David Alarie, now a PCQ candidate in Brome-Missisquoi, located in the Eastern Townships, explained that he had made those statements “in the heat of the moment.”
In a Facebook post dated November 19, 2020, Alarie stated: “I’ve been holding back for too long. Those who believe that the government is doing the right things, the only vaccine owed to you is euthanasia.” Several months later, on January 19, 2021, he advocated for pressuring the CAQ government out of power by harassing their MNAs and demanding their resignation.
Following queries directed at the party, Alarie conveyed via an email statement to Radio-Canada that his previous comments were “clumsy” and do not represent his current views or those of the PCQ. “In the midst of the pandemic, I intended to inject humor, but I now realize it was inappropriate,” his statement read.
During the ongoing 2022 election campaign, an investigative report by CBC News revealed that nearly 30% of the initial 54 candidates announced by the party had utilized their social media platforms to spread medical misinformation, engage with conspiracy theorists, or interact with far-right extremists during the pandemic.
This election season, several other party candidates have had their past remarks highlighted in mainstream media outlets. When questioned about these instances, PCQ Leader Éric Duhaime accused the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) of resorting to smear tactics, attributing it to the CAQ’s lack of popularity and poor track record.
In a recent development, a CAQ candidate in the Ungava riding withdrew from the race after making contentious remarks at the Centres de femmes Les Elles Nord, a women’s center in Chibougamau, Que. The candidate, Paul Dadie, questioned the center’s women-only policy during a meeting, leading to his withdrawal and an apology from CAQ Party Leader Christine Fréchette.
Furthermore, Parti Québécois (PQ) candidate François Gariépy in the Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré riding faced controversy ahead of the election campaign due to past statements where he used offensive language towards Indigenous women and allegedly mocked older women. While acknowledging the inappropriateness of the comments, PQ Leader St-Pierre Plamondon stated that he had no plans to request the candidate’s withdrawal.