Arthabaska: Denis Coderre urges Liberals to vote for Éric Duhaime
Former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre (left) appears alongside Éric Duhaime, leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) and candidate in the Arthabaska by-election, in Victoriaville on Thursday, May 29, 2025. (The Canadian Press/Thomas Laberge)
In a political twist in Arthabaska, Denis Coderre has thrown his support behind Éric Duhaime, calling on Liberals and federalists in the riding to vote for the Conservative leader.
'A party leader, no matter who it is — if it had been someone else, I would've done the same darn thing — has the right to sit in the National Assembly,' the former mayor of Montreal said Thursday at a press conference in Victoriaville, standing alongside Duhaime.
Coderre said the Conservative leader's ideas deserve to be heard at the National Assembly.
'The interests of Quebecers include, among other things, scrapping the carbon tax, and the only one who's been clear, straightforward and transparent about that is Éric Duhaime,' he said.
The former federal minister urged the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) not to run a candidate in the riding, both to facilitate Duhaime's election and to 'save money.'
'If the PLQ runs someone, they won't even get 10 per cent,' he argued.
Sitting beside him, the Conservative leader welcomed the endorsement, describing Coderre as a politician who puts democracy first.
'It sends the message that people of all stripes — no matter your position on the Constitution, no matter where you fall on the left-right spectrum — you're welcome in the Quebec Conservative Party. I want to bring people in Arthabaska together,' Duhaime said.
After the press conference, the two went to shake hands with seniors at a nearby retirement residence.
Tax troubles
Until recently, Coderre had wanted to run for the PLQ leadership. But his ongoing tax troubles led the Liberals to reject his candidacy in February.
At the time, he said he was 'disgusted' by the party's decision. On
Thursday, the former mayor insisted his support for the Conservatives isn't about getting back at the Liberals.
Coderre's tax issues remain unresolved.
La Presse reported in recent days that he still owes taxes at both the provincial and federal levels.
Back in October 2024, he said his situation would be resolved by January. At Thursday's press conference in Victoriaville, he repeated that 'all funds are secured.'
'The rest of this sounds more like smearing, harassment and intimidation,' he said.
Asked whether he might run with the Conservatives in 2026, he replied simply: 'I'll deal with my stuff first.'
Despite everything, the former federal minister says he still holds a PLQ membership card.
When asked whether paying taxes is important, Duhaime sidestepped the question, saying that 'unfortunately,' in politics, old stories always resurface.
'Today's real news is that someone is standing up to say that democracy has its place in Quebec,' he added.
Coderre was mayor of Montreal from 2013 to 2017. Before that, he was a federal Liberal MP from 1997 to 2013 in the Montreal riding of Bourassa.
Three-way race
According to poll aggregator Qc125, the Arthabaska by-election is shaping up to be a three-way race between the Quebec Conservative Party (PCQ), the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), and the Parti Québécois (PQ).
Former Radio-Canada journalist Alex Boissonneault is running for the PQ. Voters in Arthabaska haven't elected a PQ MNA in over 25 years.
Québec solidaire is running Pascale Fortin in the by-election.
So far, neither the CAQ nor the Liberals have named a candidate.
The riding has been held by the CAQ since 2012.
In the 2022 provincial election, Conservative candidate Tarek Henoud placed second in Arthabaska with 25 per cent of the vote. The government has until September to call the by-election.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 29, 2025.
By Thomas Laberge, The Canadian Press
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