Milliard invested as Liberal candidate in Orford
Sherbrooke Record · 18 hours ago
by Matthew Mccully · News
New Quebec Liberal leader says he identifies with Townships’ energy and passion
Michael Keegan
The Record – LJI
Newly acclaimed Quebec Liberal leader Charles Milliard was officially named the party’s candidate in the riding of Orford for the coming provincial election, the first of 125 candidates, he says he’s eager to present to Quebecers for the 2026 campaign. The investiture took place before a very enthusiastic audience of 200 party members at the Hôtel Chéribourg in Orford on Feb. 28.
To the delight of the party faithful, Milliard, whose remarks were predominantly in French, proclaimed that the Quebec Liberal Party was “finally back in Estrie,” referring to the party’s hold on the riding ever since it was created in 1973, up until the Coalition Avenir Québec’s (CAQ) Gilles Bélanger was first elected there in 2018.
Milliard and the members of the party establishment who welcomed him put great emphasis on the importance of being first and foremost an attentive and effective representative in one’s riding. Milliard invoked the names of former Orford MNAs George Vaillancourt, Robert Benoit, and Pierre Reid. Present to offer their support to Milliard were the wife of Benoit, Gisèle, and Benoit’s former attaché Lynn Blouin.
Former premier of Quebec Daniel Johnson Jr. gave a speech that sought to contrast what he said were the Liberal party’s values from those he said were being demonstrated by the CAQ government. He said Liberal values consist in “respecting the values of one another.” In a clear reference to the CAQ’s Bill 1, their proposed Quebec Constitution, Johnson said, “Rights must be expanded, not removed, not limited.”
Early on in his approximately 30-minute speech, Milliard said the Orford riding executive reflected what he would like every executive to be, “a mix of experience and renewal that reflects the diversity of the riding.” He thanked Notre-Dame-de-Grace MNA Désirée McGraw for having been present in the riding and said that “job is coming to an end and reinforcements are on the way.”
Milliard praised the Townships as having “something balanced and authentic.” He said one finds there “an economic dynamism that is impressive, led by its local businesses, but also great cultural vitality.”
After describing the people of Estrie as innovative entrepreneurs, elected officials who take their responsibilities seriously, and engaged voters who follow the issues and aren’t shy about making their voices heard, Milliard said, “I identify with your energy and I want to embody with you that passion for the region which unites us.”
“The riding of Orford also includes a significant proportion of English-speaking Quebecers,” said Milliard in the longest of three brief remarks he made in English. “For too long this community has been overlooked or taken for granted. I’m committed to listening to its needs, listening to its concerns and making them my own, especially when it comes to obviously protecting, fundamental rights, but also on crucial issues like the economy, agriculture, and the living conditions of our seniors.”
Subscribe to read the full story and more
L’article Milliard invested as Liberal candidate in Orford est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.
