Former health workers' union representative to run under CAQ in Marie-Victorin byelection
Shirley Dorismond has expressed the need to fight systemic racism
Shirley Dorismond, a former representative of Quebec's largest nurses' union, will run under the Coalition Avenir Québec banner in the forthcoming Marie-Victorin byelection, the premier announced.
At a news conference Sunday, Premier François Legault said he "needed" Dorismond in Quebec City.
"What a dream for a party leader right now. And in Quebec, we know Quebecers adore nurses," he said. "Shirley has a lot of charisma. She's a woman of action."
The Marie-Victorin byelection aims to fill former independent MNA Catherine Fournier's seat, after she was elected mayor of Longueuil last November.
Dorismond served as vice-president of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), the largest nurses' union in the province.
"I really feel like helping people where I grew up," she said. "I especially want to help the elderly in Marie-Victorin and all of the elderly of Quebec."
Legault previously shared his intention to run a woman candidate last November.
She will face Québec Solidaire candidate Shophika Vaithyanathasarma, Quebec Conservative Party's Anne Casabonne, Parti Québécois's Pierre Nantel, Liberal Émilie Nollet and the leader of the new Climat Québec party, Martine Ouellet.
Tackling systemic racism
In previous social media posts, Dorismond — a Black woman — voiced the need to tackle systemic racism, contradicting the CAQ's refusal to acknowledge its existence in Quebec.
A tweet from July 2020 shows the FIQ quoting Dorismond, saying there will be "no social justice so long as there's systemic racism."
Shirley Dorismond, vice-présidente de la FIQ, tient à rappeler qu'il n'y aura pas de justice sociale tant que le racisme systémique existera! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StrikeForBlackLives?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StrikeForBlackLives</a> ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻 <a href="https://t.co/dZkUEbkDpQ">pic.twitter.com/dZkUEbkDpQ</a>
—@FIQSanteSunday, Dorismond said she would be happy to share her experiences and her observations in the health network with the Quebec's anti-racism minister.
"Of course, I've said things, and I take ownership of them, but there's no consensus on the definition," she said. "It's normal. We're in a society with different opinions."
Legault repeated that his party does not believe there is a "system of racism in Quebec."
"There are some Quebecers that believe there is systemic racism. There are some that believe there isn't systemic racism," he said. "The important thing is that the great majority of Quebecers believe there is racism, and it's important to tackle it."