Papineau: Candidates debate local issues
Drazen Seslija
Nearly 100 residents attended the election debate featuring four candidates from the Papineau riding on Monday, September 14, 2026. Organized by the Corporation de développement communautaire Rond Point (CDC Rond Point) and the Regroupement des gens d’affaires de la Basse-Lièvre (RGA Basse-Lièvre), the debate was held at the Buckingham Chevaliers de Colomb hall and was moderated by Daniel Feeny, a political columnist and former candidate for mayor of Gatineau.
Michel Kadri of the Parti conservateur du Québec (PCQ), Isabelle Millette of the Parti Québécois (PQ), Benoît Renaud of Québec solidaire (QS), and Isabelle Sabourin of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) presented their priorities and positions on various issues affecting the community.
A variety of issues
Health care, housing, homelessness, transportation, local services, and funding for community organizations were among the topics discussed during the evening.
Michel Kadri mentioned that expanding Highway 50 to two lanes in each direction is one of the priorities for the Papineau riding, in particular.
Among other ideas, Isabelle Millette and her party want to strengthen community-based care and make CLSCs the main gateway to the healthcare system. The party is proposing, in particular, $150 million over four years for primary care and aims to increase the number of medical school spots.
Benoît Renaud aims to bring primary care closer to the communities in Papineau. He also wants to develop efficient public transportation, among other things.
Isabelle Sabourin and her party propose investing an additional $60 million per year to combat homelessness. The plan includes increased support for resources, mental health services, and transitional housing.
A consensus on community funding
A consensus emerged from the discussion: the four candidates recognized the importance of mission-based funding for community organizations.
Isabelle Millette proposed that this funding be better tailored to the organizations’ actual needs and also expressed support for simplifying accountability requirements.
Benoît Renaud, for his part, emphasized the need for stable, mission-based funding to enable organizations to maintain their operations without having to constantly rely on one-time projects.
Isabelle Sabourin reiterated the Quebec Liberal Party’s commitment to increase funding for the Programme de soutien aux organismes communautaires (community organizations support program) by $200 million, with the goal of giving organizations greater flexibility.
Michel Kadri also spoke in favor of mission-based funding, so that the funds can directly support community organizations.
An absent candidate
Linda Gauthier, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) candidate in Papineau, did not participate in the debate. After the event, she explained that her absence was due to a personal matter.
“It is with sincere regret that I had to miss the debate organized tonight by the RGABL and the CDC Rond Point. A last-minute personal matter, completely beyond my control, unfortunately prevented me from attending this event, which I was very eager to participate in. I had been preparing for it for several days and had put a lot of energy into making sure I could attend. I would therefore like to sincerely thank the organizers for their invitation and for their work, which is essential to the vitality of our community,” she explained in a social media post published after the debate.