A candidate running for the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) has issued an apology for remarks he made during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, suggesting that Quebec residents supporting vaccines should be euthanized. David Alarie, now a PCQ candidate in Brome-Missisquoi, in the Eastern Townships, explained that he shared those sentiments impulsively.
In a Facebook post dated November 19, 2020, Alarie stated: “I’ve been holding back for too long. Those who believe that the government is doing the right things, the only vaccine owed to you is euthanasia.” Later, on January 19, 2021, he remarked that the only method to remove the CAQ government from power was through pressuring their MNAs and demanding their resignation.
In response to inquiries sent to the party, Alarie conveyed, via an email to Radio-Canada, that these comments were “clumsy” and do not represent his current views or those of the PCQ. “In the midst of the pandemic, I attempted to inject some humor, but I now realize that it was inappropriate,” his statement read.
During the ongoing 2022 election campaign, a CBC News investigation revealed that nearly 30% of the initial 54 candidates announced by the party had utilized their social media accounts to promote medical misinformation, conspiracy theories, or engage with far-right extremists during the pandemic.
In a separate incident, a CAQ candidate in the Ungava riding withdrew from the race after making controversial comments at a women’s center, sparking a response from CAQ Party Leader Christine Fréchette denouncing the behavior as unacceptable.
Furthermore, Parti Québécois (PQ) candidate François Gariépy, running in the Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré riding, faced scrutiny prior to the election campaign for past remarks, including derogatory comments towards Indigenous women and older women. Despite acknowledging the inappropriateness of the comments, PQ Leader St-Pierre Plamondon expressed no intention of requesting the candidate’s withdrawal.