It has become apparent over the past several months that Stephen Harper and the Conservatives have all but given up on Quebec. This is due partly because of a hard right policy which doesn't appeal to Quebec, but is mainly due to the new leader of the LP of C - Michael Ignatieff.
While we know how this battle is playing out on the streets and in the corridors of power, there is another very interesting movement occurring in Quebec, and across the land. A vigorous youth campaign is in motion, and it is putting Liberals and liberal values front and center.
John Lennard - candidate for the Presidency of the Young Liberals - is at the center of this movement. John has run an exceptional campaign from coast to coast to coast. He and his team have engaged Young Liberals, and indeed all Liberals in a quest to tie this land together with ideas and a message of unity.
Late last night we here at WesternGrit were apprised of an amazing number of endorsements for John coming from Quebec (via a prominent Quebec Liberal). This Young Liberal from Northern Ontario has received endorsements from key youth in much of Quebec... his list reads like a "who's who" of Quebec politics. Julien Gagnon (President of the Youth Commission of the Quebec Liberal Party) recently stated, "John Lennard has demonstrated tremendous leadership and a strong understanding of the issues and priorities facing Quebec. I look forward to working with YLC to set and achieve common objectives as we reach out to Quebec youth". The youth chairs of BOTH major Montreal municipal parties have also endorsed John for the YLC Presidency.
Speaking with John's team over the past few weeks, it is apparent this young man realizes the importance of Liberal gains in Quebec, and his Quebec campaign has been focused on this.
The growth of youth support in Quebec, and across Canada, (in no small part due to this YLC campaign) will ensure a strong base of volunteers and ideas for the party. Young men like John Lennard will lead the charge as our party takes back ridings from the Conservatives and NDP in Quebec.
The future of the Liberal Party is very bright indeed...
Over 50 major endorsements for John Lennard
Frédéric Barriault
Haute-Gaspésie-Matane-Matapédia-La Mitis
President, University of Montreal Law Students' Assocation (2006-2007)
President, Association des Étudians de l'École de Barreau (2007-2008)
Finances Coordinator, Youth Commission – Quebec Liberal Party (2004-2005)
Youth co-chair (Quebec), Bob Rae Leadership Campaign (2006)
François Beaudry
Mont-Royal
President, Youth Commission – Quebec Liberal Party (2007-2008)
Olivier Beaulieu-Lauzon
Laurier-Ste-Marie
Fédération médicale étudiante du Québec (FMEQ)
François B. Lauzon
Laurier-Ste-Marie
Frédéric Bérard
President, Young Liberals of Canada (Québec) (1999-2000)
Jean-Sébastien Boudreau
Montcalm
Member of the « Team Marcotte » Administrative Council (Mayor of Mascouche)
Mathieu Bougie
Hochelaga
President of the Youth Commission for Union Montreal
Éric Blouin
President, Young Liberals of Canada (Quebec) (2000-2002)
Joël Brassard-Morisette
Chicoutimi- Le Fjord
President of the University of Sherbrooke Students' Union (FEUS) (2006-2007)
Jean-Sébastien Brun
Alfred-Pellan
Leidy Ojeda
Alfred-Pellan
Mathieu Brunet
Laval
Councillor, QLP Youth Commission
Farah Chagnon
Compton-Stanstead
Councillor, QLP Youth Commission
Dr. Winston Chan
Rosemont
Member of the Laurier Circle
Vincent Chaput
Coordinator, Montreal East, Vision Montréal
Stephanie Chouliareas
Vice President (Events), Liberal McGill
Olivier Coulombe
Bourassa
Student Clubs Director, YLC(Q)
Hugo Delorme
Chair, Organizing Committee, 26nd Youth Convention of the QLP (2008)
National Youth Co-chair, Bob Rae Leadership Campaign (2006)
Vice President (Youth), Quebec Liberal Party (2004-2006)
Vice President (Youth), Laval Federal Liberal Association (2002-2006)
Founding President, YLC Club at Collège André-Grasset (2002-2003)
Simon Desjardins
Verchères-Les-Patriotes
Alexis Devroede-Languirand
President, Liberal Party of Canada Club (Université de Montréal)
Sébastien Dhavernas
2008 Candidate in Outremont
Member of the Policy Committee, LPC(Q)
Anthony Di Carlo
Papineau
Sophie Gagnon
Westmount – Ville-Marie
Communications Director, Association libérale de l'Université de Montréal (ALUM)
Director, Quebec Association of Young Parliamentarians
François-Olivier Godin
Terrebonne
Vice President, Association étudiante de l'École du Barreau de Montréal (2007-2008)
Lanaudière Regional Representative, QLP Youth Commission (2007)
David Grégoire
2008 Federal Liberal Candidate (Montcalm)
2008 Provincial Liberal Candidate (Masson)
Catherine Groulx
Laval-les-Iles
Former Youth staffer, QLP Youth Commission (2007-2008)
Stefan Hoffman
Vice President Youth Made, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine
Director, YLC(Q)
Youth staffer, Michael Ignatieff Leadership Campaign (2006)
Jonathan Katz
Mount Royal
Louise Labrecque
Outremont
Journalist
Daniel Laprès
Outremont
Journalist and prominent party activist
Gisèle Lamirande
Pointe-de-l'Île
Isabelle Larouche
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Assistant coordinator, Centre d'études et de recherches internationales de l'Université de Montréal (CERIUM)
Louis-Philippe Larue
Haute-Gaspésie-Matane-Matapédia-La Mitis
Kim Leclerc
Haute-Gaspésie-Matane-Matapédia-La Mitis
2008 Federal Liberal Candidate
Lara Limoges
Vice President Communications, Club du Parti Libéral du Canada de l'Université de Montréal
Emmanuel Lianoudakis
Coordinator, Montreal West, YLC(Q)
Alexandre Mercier-Dalphond
Outremont
Member of the Laurier Circle
Secretary, QLP Youth Commission (2007-2008)
Nicolas Michel-Imbert
Saint-Laurent—Cartierville
Ahmad Nahza
Ahunstic
Vice President, YLC(Q)
Jonathan Pedneault
Longueuil-Pierre-Boucher
Nomination Candidate
Damien Pellerin
Hochelaga
President, Association libérale de l'Université de Montréal (ALUM)
Pierre-Marc Perreault
Brossard-La Prairie
Vice President Communications, Laurier Circle
Nicolas Perrino
Alfred-Pellan
President, Comité libéral étudiant du Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf
Max Reed
Westmount—Ville Marie
Martin Rioux
Outremont
David Simard
Outremont
Guillaume Synnott
Vice President, Association libérale de l'Université de Montréal (ALUM)
Vice President (Youth), Outremont Provincial Liberal Association
Vincenzo Tirelli
Saint-Léonard-St-Michel
Julie Tremblay
Provincial Liberal Candidate in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (2008)
David Veillette
Vice President – Youth in St-Maurice (Shawinigan) (1999 - 2001)
Federal Liberal Candidate in Repentigny (2000)
Carlos Zuleta
Vice President (Youth) – Papineau Federal Liberal Association
