Michel Leblanc’s candidacy with the Quebec Liberals has been confirmed

The candidacy of Michel Leblanc, former president and CEO of the Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain (CCMM), for the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ), was made official Wednesday afternoon ahead of the Oct. 5 election.

Liberal Party Leader Charles Milliard confirmed at a press conference that Leblanc will run for the party in the Marguerite-Bourgeoys riding, located in southwest of Montreal.

Milliard described his arrival as an “announcement with a strong economic focus.”

“We need to get Quebec’s economy back on track. And I think I’ve found us a train conductor who’s not half bad,” he said at a meeting in the LaSalle borough where several activists, as well as current and former Liberal elected officials, had gathered.

Milliard declined to say whether he considered his candidate a potential minister of economy or finance if his political party were to come to power.

Leblanc presented himself as an economist “who is very attuned to the issue of solidarity.”

“I believe that the plan we have in mind — to help Quebecers and Quebec as a whole become more prosperous and feel more confident about the economic future — will also require ensuring that this is done fairly and with solidarity within the community,” he said.

News of his candidacy had been leaked the day before in various media outlets. Leblanc served on the CCMM from 2009 to 2025. He has repeatedly criticized the CAQ government’s immigration policies.

His name was already being mentioned as a potential candidate for mayor of Montreal last year.

The Liberal leader said Wednesday that he had approached Leblanc, who agreed to make the leap into politics as he now feels ready for the challenge following a one-year career break.

“Why now? Because… aside from Charles’ call, there are major socioeconomic challenges lying ahead of us. There is immense uncertainty. It affects people directly,” said the 63-year-old.

Leblanc holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from the University of Montreal. Among other roles, he has worked at the Department of Finance Canada, the Institute for Research on Public Policy, Montréal International, Génome Québec, and as a consultant at SECOR.

Former Liberal Finance Ministers Raymond Bachand and Monique Jérôme-Forget (member of the National Assembly for Marguerite-Bourgeoys from 1998 to 2009) were present at Wednesday’s announcement. Leblanc noted that they had previously served as his superiors during his career.

Leblanc has become the 84th confirmed candidate so far for the PLQ, Milliard noted, just a few weeks before the official start of the election campaign.

PQ candidate

Along with this announcement, the Parti Québécois (PQ) also confirmed in a press release on Wednesday morning its candidate in the Marguerite-Bourgeoys riding. The candidate is Luc Côté, a former public relations officer for the City of Montreal who also served in the Canadian Armed Forces.

The separatist party describes Côté as someone who is “well acquainted with the integration challenges associated with Montreal’s diversity.” He “calls for more decisive action by the Quebec government,” particularly with regard to the protection and promotion of French.

The Marguerite-Bourgeoys riding is a Liberal stronghold. The riding has been red since its creation in 1966.

The current MP for Marguerite-Bourgeoys, Frédéric Beauchemin, has decided to run for re-election in another riding, Brome-Missisquoi in the Estrie region.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews