Manon Massé

Manon Massé
MNA
Massé in 2019
Co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire
In office
21 May 2017 – 26 November 2023
Preceded byFrançoise David
Succeeded byÉmilise Lessard-Therrien
Member of the National Assembly for Sainte-Marie–Saint-Jacques
Assumed office
7 April 2014
Preceded byDaniel Breton
Personal details
Born (1963-05-22) 22 May 1963 (age 60)
Windsor, Quebec, Canada
Political partyQuébec solidaire
Residence(s)Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Alma materUniversité de Montréal

Manon Massé MNA (born 22 May 1963) is a Canadian politician in Quebec and was one of co-spokespersons for Québec solidaire from 2017 to 2023. She has represented Sainte-Marie–Saint-Jacques in the National Assembly of Quebec since the 2014 general election. Before her time in political office, she was a community organizer and one of the co-founders for the political movement Option citoyenne.[1][2]

Biography

Massé was born on 22 May 1963 in Windsor, Quebec, to Fernande Migneault and Gilles Massé, both factory workers by profession. She spent the first seven years of her childhood in Windsor until her family moved to Boucherville, a suburb of Montreal.[3]

She studied at Cégep Édouard-Montpetit before pursuing a major in theology at the Université de Montréal.[4]

Massé worked with various community organisations, social causes, and political movements, including the Comité social Centre-Sud and Fédération des femmes du Québec (trans. Women's Federation of Québec). She was also on the coordinating committees for the Marche mondiale des Femmes in 2000 and the Marche du pain et des roses [fr] in 1995.[4] In 2011, she was also part of the Freedom Flotilla II, representing Québec solidaire on the Canadian Boat for Gaza, Tahrir.[5]

Political career

Manon Massé was the first-ever candidate to stand for political office under the Québec Solidaire banner,[6] doing so in the 2006 by-election for the Sainte-Marie–Saint-Jacques constituency she now represents. She received 22% of the vote.[7]

She was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in the 2014 election, her fifth attempt and winning the party its third seat.[8][9]

Due to her narrow margin of victory over Quebec Liberal Party candidate Anna Klisko of 91 votes, a request for a judicial recount was filed by Klisko.[9] The request was rejected by the presiding judge on 11 April, on the grounds that Klisko did not have sufficient evidence of any irregularities in the election process.[9]

Québec solidaire co-spokesperson, 2017–2023

Massé, along with activist Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, was elected co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire at the party's conference in May 2017.[10] This is a continuation the party's tradition of allocating the role to a woman and a man to serve concurrently.

In her role, Massé was proposed by the party as their candidate for Premier of Quebec in the 2018 Quebec general election.[11] In this election, the party tripled its seat count from three members to ten, the party's best performance to date and bringing the party to third party status, ahead of the traditional major sovereigntist party, Parti Québécois.[12]

In the trial of Catalonia independence leaders, Massé testified at the Supreme Court of Spain on 29 April 2019 due to her role as international observer in the 2017 Catalan independence referendum.[13]

In May 2023, Massé announced that she was stepping down from her co-spokesperson role.[14] In November 2023, she was succeeded as co-spokesperson by Émilise Lessard-Therrien.[15]

Electoral history

2022 Quebec general election: Sainte-Marie-Saint-Jacques
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Québec solidaire Manon Massé 10,892 47.69 -1.59
Liberal Christopher Baenninger 3,621 15.85 -5.30
Parti Québécois Phoeby Laplante 3,362 14.72 +0.73
Coalition Avenir Québec Aurélie Diep 3,268 14.31 +3.32
Conservative Stefan Marquis 1,138 4.98 +4.46
Green Hailey Roop 450 1.97 -1.52
Marxist–Leninist Linda Sullivan 64 0.28 –
Climat Québec Jency Mercier 46 0.20 –
Total valid votes 22,841 99.11 –
Total rejected ballots 205 0.89 -0.15
Turnout 23,046 56.23 -3.19
Electors on the lists 40,988 – –
2018 Quebec general election: Sainte-Marie-Saint-Jacques
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Québec solidaire Manon Massé 12,429 49.28 +18.68
Liberal Louis Charron 5,335 21.15 -9.12
Parti Québécois Jennifer Drouin 3,528 13.99 -13.62
Coalition Avenir Québec Anna Klisko 2,773 10.99 +2.42
Green Anna Calderon 881 3.49 +1.43
Conservative Don Ivanski 130 0.52 –
Bloc Pot Henri Ladouceur 73 0.29 -0.30
Citoyens au pouvoir Alexis Cossette-Trudel [fr] 72 0.29 –
Total valid votes 25,221 98.96
Total rejected ballots 266 1.04
Turnout 25,487 59.42 -6.54
Eligible voters 42,894
Québec solidaire hold Swing +13.90
Source(s)
"Rapport des résultats officiels du scrutin". Élections Québec.
2014 Quebec general election: Sainte-Marie–Saint-Jacques
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Québec solidaire Manon Massé 8,437 30.60 +5.17
Liberal Anna Klisko 8,346 30.27 +10.96
Parti Québécois Daniel Breton 7,612 27.61 -8.07
Coalition Avenir Québec Patrick Thauvette 2,364 8.57 -6.21
Green Stewart Wiseman 393 1.43 –
Option nationale Nic Payne 210 0.76 -2.33
Bloc Pot Marc Bissonnette 164 0.59 –
Marxist–Leninist Serge Lachapelle 47 0.17 -0.04
Total valid votes 27,573 98.86 –
Total rejected ballots 318 1.14 –
Turnout 27,891 65.96 -2.22
Electors on the lists 42,287 – –
Québec solidaire gain from Parti Québécois Swing  
2012 Quebec general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Parti Québécois Daniel Breton 10,199 35.76 -10.86
Québec solidaire Manon Massé 7,253 25.43 +10.03
Liberal Étienne Collins 5,531 19.39 -8.83
Coalition Avenir Québec Cédrick Beauregard 4,216 14.78 +10.76*
Option nationale Denis Monière 880 3.09 –
Middle Class Louis Provencher 143 0.50 –
Independent Jean-Marc Labrèche 123 0.43 –
Quebec Citizens' Union Edson Emilio 87 0.31 –
Marxist–Leninist Serge Lachapelle 60 0.21 -0.17
Independent Dimitri Mourkes 31 0.11 –
Total valid votes 28,523 98.94 –
Total rejected ballots 305 1.06 –
Turnout 28,828 68.18 +20.94
Electors on the lists 42,283 – –
Parti Québécois hold Swing -10.45
* Coalition avenir vote is compared to the Action démocratique vote in the 2008 election.
2008 Quebec general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Parti Québécois Martin Lemay 9,236 46.62 +5.28
Liberal Éric Prud'homme 5,590 28.22 +4.52
Québec solidaire Manon Massé 3,051 15.40 +1.24
Green Annie Morel 1,062 5.36 -4.32
Action démocratique Dominic Boisvert 796 4.02 -6.74
Marxist–Leninist Serge Lachapelle 76 0.38 +0.02
Total valid votes 19,811 98.60 –
Total rejected ballots 282 1.40 –
Turnout 20,093 47.24 -13.62
Electors on the lists 42,530 – –
2007 Quebec general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Parti Québécois Martin Lemay 10,501 41.34 +0.13
Liberal Denise Dussault 6,021 23.70 -4.21
Québec solidaire Manon Massé 3,596 14.16 -8.04
Action démocratique Jean-Stéphane Dupervil 2,733 10.76 +8.82
Green Corinne Ardon 2,460 9.68 +3.53
Marxist–Leninist Serge Lachapelle 92 0.36 –
Total valid votes 25,403 99.02 –
Total rejected ballots 251 0.98 –
Turnout 25,654 60.86 +29.39
Electors on the lists 42,150 – –
Quebec provincial by-election, April 10, 2006: Sainte-Marie–Saint-Jacques
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Parti Québécois Martin Lemay 5,462 41.21 -8.63
Liberal Nathalie Malépart 3,700 27.91 -2.56
Québec solidaire Manon Massé 2,943 22.20 +15.72*
Green Jean-Christophe Mortreux 815 6.15 +3.52
Action démocratique Catherine Goyer 257 1.94 −6.39
Independent Jocelyne Leduc 50 0.38 –
Independent Régent Millette 28 0.21 –
Total valid votes 13,255 99.24 –
Total rejected ballots 101 0.76 –
Turnout 13,356 31.47 -30.04
Electors on the lists 42,437 – –
Parti Québécois hold Swing -3.04
* Quebec solidaire vote is compared to the UFP vote in the 2003 election.

Personal life

Massé is a noted feminist and social justice activist in and around Montreal.[16] She is an out lesbian and partner to Ghislaine Goulet.[17][18]

References

  1. ^ Lussier, Judith (7 August 2012). "Manon Massé : par-delà la moustache" [Manon Massé: Beyond the mustache]. URBANIA (in French). Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  2. ^ Durocher, Sophie (5 February 2018). "La moustache de Manon" [Manon's mustache]. Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  3. ^ Larochelle, Luc (9 March 2018). "Les racines de Manon Massé à Windsor" [Manon Massé's Windsor roots]. Le Soleil (in French). Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Manon Massé". National Assembly of Quebec. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Des Québécois en route vers Gaza pour briser le blocus israélien" [Quebecers en route towards Gaza to break the Israeli blockade]. Radio-Canada (in French). 20 June 2011 [19 June 2011]. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Député.e.s – Manon Massé". Québec solidaire. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Résultats de l'élection partielle du 10 avril 2006" [10 April 2006 by-election results] (in French). Élections Québec. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Manon Massé narrowly wins third seat for Québec Solidaire". CBC News. 8 April 2014. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  9. ^ a b c "Manon Masse officially wins seat for Quebec solidaire". CTV News. 11 April 2014. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  10. ^ Fragasso-Marquis, Vicky (21 May 2017). "Manon Massé et GND nommés porte-paroles de QS" [Manon Massé and Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois named Québec solidaire co-spokespersons]. Le Soleil (in French). La Presse Canadienne. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  11. ^ Morasse, Marie-Eve (26 February 2018). "Manon Massé sera l'aspirante première ministre pour QS" [Manon Massé named Québec solidaire's candidate for premier]. La Presse (in French). Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  12. ^ Lalonde, Michelle (2 October 2018). "Quebec election: Québec solidaire triples its caucus". Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  13. ^ López de Miguel, Alejandro (29 April 2019). "Una diputada de Quebec, la primera que se reivindica como observadora internacional en el 'procés', aunque corrió con sus gastos" [Quebec MNA, the first international observer for the procés, paid her own way]. Público (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  14. ^ Jonas, Sabrina (16 May 2023). "Manon Massé to step down as Québec Solidaire co-spokesperson". CBC News. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Émilise Lessard-Therrien devient la nouvelle co-porte-parole de Québec solidaire" [Émilise Lessard-Therrien becomes Québec solidaire's new co-spokesperson]. Radio-Canada (in French). 26 November 2023. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  16. ^ Vaillancourt, Julie (December 2009). "Intervues avec... Manon Massé" [Interviews with... Manon Massé]. Fugues (in French). Vol. 26, no. 9. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Éditions Nitram. pp. 110–111. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  17. ^ "Québec Solidaire wants to fight homophobia". CBC News. 6 March 2007. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  18. ^ Labranche, Michaël (2 October 2018). "Un cliché de Manon Massé et de sa conjointe qui s'embrassent émeut le Web" [A photo of Manon Massé and her partner kissing moves the internet]. Le Journal de Québec (in French). Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.