CAQ’s Cliffe to take on Coiteux in Nelligan

Karen Cliffe will be the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) candidate for the riding of Nelligan in next fall’s provincial election.

While announcing Cliffe’s candidacy on Monday, CAQ leader François Legault said West Islanders will now have an alternative to the Quebec Liberal Party when they go to the polls in October.

“Karen, along with many citizens of the West Island of Montreal, is tired of being taken for granted by the Liberals,” Legault said in a statement.

“The citizens want to talk about economic development, jobs, and health. They do not want to endlessly debate the sovereignty of Quebec. The CAQ project is inside of Canada,” Legault added. “The citizens of the West Island of Montreal now have an alternative: the CAQ.”

Cliffe will be tasked with trying to unseat Liberal incumbent Martin Coiteux in Nelligan, a riding that includes Kirkland, the borough of Île-Bizard– Ste- Geneviève as well as part of Pierrefonds–Roxboro.

Coiteux easily won the riding in 2014 with more than 80 per cent of the vote, compared to 9.47 per cent for CAQ runner-up Albert Bitton.

Aside from being the Minister for the Montreal region, Coiteux is also Minister of Public Security and Minister of Municipal Affairs in Premier Philippe Couillard’s government.

Cliffe, an entrepreneur and marketing specialist, ran unsuccessfully for a seat on Kirkland’s city council in last November’s municipal election.

She said access to health care motivated her to become a candidate for the CAQ. She also criticized the provincial Liberals for its handling of last year’s spring flood crisis.