Jennifer Maccarone vows to protect Anglo community in candidate debut

CTV Montreal: Maccarone, Kelley debut The Liberals formally introduced new candidates Jennifer Maccarone and Greg Kelley.

Jennifer Maccarone, president of the Quebec English School Boards Association, was formally introduced as the Liberal candidate in the Westmount-Saint-Louis riding on Wednesday.

The announcement came a day before the official start of the 39-day campaign, leading up to the Oct. 1 election.

On Tuesday, CTV Montreal learned that Maccarone had been selected as the party's candidate for the riding.

The party had been in talks with several potential candidates, including high-profile contender Elizabeth Gomery – a lawyer and daughter of retired judge John Gomery.

The Westmount-Saint-Louis riding association settled on Maccarone in a unanimous vote, and she formally accepted the offer late Monday night, sources told CTV Montreal.

Maccarone described herself as a candidate with a deep understanding of Quebec's English-speaking community, and who has worked for years on behalf of the English school system.

"The concerns of the Anglophone communities are to recognize we're part of the framework of the province of Quebec," she said. "That we are equal partners and we wish to continue to contribute to the longevity and success of this province. I would say also that we want to make sure that we can protect the institutions that are important to us. Access to services in the language of your choice."

In June, Jacques Chagnon – the riding’s current MNA and speaker of the National Assembly – confirmed he would not seek re-election, freeing up the Liberal stronghold for the first time in 33 years.

Maccarone is familiar with the halls of the National Assembly. She has been a vocal defender of English school boards, and was instrumental in successfully lobbying the Couillard Liberals to scrap Bill 86, legislation that would have abolished school board elections and reformed the way school boards are run.

The bill, seen as threat to the autonomy of English institutions, was widely criticized in the anglophone community.

“She’s well-spoken, she’s very meticulous in how she does her work, she consults her people,” a Liberal insider told CTV Montreal. “She’s very respected.”

The move could benefit the Liberals strategically, as the party tries to strengthen its position against the CAQ, now leading in the polls.

CAQ leader Francois Legault has been trying to woo English-speaking voters, describing his party as an alternative for federalists, now that the issue of sovereignty is on the backburner and the Parti Quebecois is trailing in the polls.

But the CAQ’s platform includes plans to abolish the province’s school boards and replace them with regional service centres.

In Maccarone, the Liberals have found someone they believe will be able to embody their message that the CAQ is disconnected from the anglophone community.

“Her candidacy reflected everything we were looking for,” a source said.

It is the first time a female candidate will run for the Quebec Liberal Party in the riding of Westmount-Saint-Louis, helping to reach an objective set by the premier.

At a gathering of candidates in the Beauce on Monday, Couillard noted that more than 40 per cent of the of the party’s candidates are women, putting the Liberals in the so-called “parity zone.”