Premier Philippe Couillard criticized for byelection call during federal race

Quebec Premier PhilippeCouillardis being accused of trying toconfuse voters by callingbyelectionsin the final weeks of thefederal election campaign.

The premier announced early Wednesdaythat fourbyelectionswill be heldNov. 9, in the Montreal ridingofSaint-HenriSainte-Anne, in the Laval riding of Fabre,in Beauce-Sud and inRen-Lvesque, on Quebec's North Shore.

• Former CAQ president Dominique Anglade will run for provincial Liberals

Three Liberal MNAs Robert Dutil, Gilles Ouimet and Marguerite Blaishave stepped down in recent months, and the PQ's former whip, Marjolain Dufour, retired from politics for health reasons in September.

The leader of the Coalition Avenir Qubec, Franois Legault, saidCouillardcould have waited until after the Oct. 19 federal election to callthe byelections.

Legaultnotedthe law allows up to six months to fill vacancies in the National Assembly andcriticized the decision to moveforward immediately.

'Cynical' timing, CAQ charges

The Coalition says it will wait until after the federal electionto put up its signs, but there are reports the Liberals have alreadystarted doing so in the Montreal riding ofSaint-HenriSainte-Anne.

LegaultsaysCouillardis sowing the seeds of confusion.

"There will be five signs from the federal parties, four fromthe provincial parties, and everyone will be confused, but PhilippeCouillardis saying: so much the better if everyone is mixed up,"Legaultsaid. "What cynicism on the part of Philippe Couillard."

Austerity will be key theme, says Qubec Solidaire

The co-leader of QubecSolidaire, Franoise David, said that the only reason the provincial Liberals have called the byelections for early November is so that their candidates in the four ridings will have an opportunity to participate in the governing party's National Council meeting later this fall.

"I've rarely seen such partisanship in an election call," David said in a news release.

The byelections will be fought on the theme of the Couillard government's austerity measures, David predicts.

The government's record after a year and a half, she said, is one of "public services crying for help, a slowing economy and the abandoning of the fight against climate change."

The Liberals announced late last month that former CAQ president Dominique Anglade will run for them inSaint-HenriSainte-Anne.

The Parti Qubcois is set to nominate Gabrielle Lemieux, a health-care administrator and member of the PQ's executive, according to information obtained by Radio-Canada.