Liberals pick economist to follow Fournier in Saint-Laurent

QUEBEC Lawyer and economics professor Marwah Rizqy will be the new Liberal candidate in the Montreal riding of Saint-Laurent.

Premier Philippe Couillard is to make the announcement Wednesday at an afternoon event in the riding, officials confirmed Tuesday evening.

If she wins in the Oct. 1 provincial general election, which is highly likely because the riding is considered a safe Liberal seat, Rizqy will succeed Jean-Marc Fournier as MNA.

Fournier, the Liberal house leader, announced recently he would not be running again.

This will be the third time Rizqy tries to enter active politics.

In 2015, she ran for the federal Liberals in the riding of Hochelaga, losing by a narrow margin.

In 2017, she was one of three candidates who tried for the federal Liberal nomination in the riding of Saint-Laurent after it was vacated by federal minister Stéphane Dion.

She lost, as did another challenger: former provincial Liberal cabinet minister Yolande James. The nomination was won by Emmanuella Lambropoulos, today an MP.

The decision by the Liberals to place Rizqy in Saint-Laurent set tongues wagging Tuesday.

There had been speculation the current MNA and minister for Outremont, Hélène David, would run in Saint-Laurent.

David is currently without a riding to run in following the decision by Quebec’s chief electoral officer to merge the ridings of Outremont and Mont-Royal.