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Montreal Gazette

Karl Blackburn on how Quebec Liberals can beat the CAQ

The Corner Booth Before the Quebec Liberals can have any hope of unseating the CAQ government in the 2026 provincial election, first they need to elect a new leader. Party members will choose one on June 14 in Quebec City. A late entry into the contest is Karl Blackburn, former MNA for Roberval from 2003 to 2007, and a chief organizer for the party. Blackburn also served as the president and CEO of the Conseil du patronat du Québec (CPQ), the province's largest employers' group. The Quebec Liberal leadership candidate joined hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand on this week's episode of The Corner Booth at Snowdon Deli to lay out his vision for uniting the Liberal base in Montreal with the vote-rich regions of the province. Blackburn feels his Lac-St-Jean bonafides will serve the party well outside of the 514-416. 'Mr. Legault in 2022 showed to everybody that he can form a government without Montreal, but we can't form a government without the regions,' Blackburn said. He added appealing to the regions doesn't have to come at the expense of alienating the province's English-speakers. 'It's interesting to see the guy from Saguenay–Lac-St-Jean defend the anglophone community,' Blackburn said. 'This is exactly what I'm doing. I don't want the closed leadership of Mr. Legault, dividing francophones against anglophones.' Blackburn talked about his opposition to the CAQ government's language, education and health-care bills. He also commented on the 'anyone but Rodriguez' sentiment brewing in the race against the early front-runner, former Montreal-area federal minister Pablo Rodriguez. 'The PLQ are not going to be a government anymore if we're not able to reconnect with the regions, and this is my strength,' Blackburn said in response to what would make him a more attractive candidate than Rodriguez. The trio also paid tribute to astronaut and politician Marc Garneau, who passed away this week at the age of 76. Garneau most recently appeared on The Corner Booth in January.