(Ottawa) Independent MP Alain Rayes wants to return to his land. He will therefore not be a candidate in the next federal elections which must take place within two years at the latest.
Mr. Rayes, who left the Conservative Party of Canada a year ago after Pierre Poilievre’s decisive victory in the first round during the leadership race, had mentioned the idea of running again as an independent candidate in his riding of Richmond -Arthabaska.
After a summer of reflection, he decided otherwise, he confided in an interview with The Presseven if his chances of winning another mandate without carrying the banner of a political party were relatively good.
” I’ve made my decision. I will not be a candidate in the next elections. I’m going to return to my land. After careful consideration, after a year as an independent MP, I have come to the conclusion that I am ready for another challenge and ready to move on,” said Mr. Rayes in his office on Parliament Hill.
He explained that he is announcing his intentions now in order to allow candidates from all political groups who want to try their luck in the next election to have time to think about it and organize themselves.
First elected in 2015, the former mayor of Victoriaville was a political lieutenant of former Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer. Former leader Erin O’Toole also gave him the same mandate after the 2021 federal elections. During the last leadership race, Mr. Rayes gave his support to former Quebec Prime Minister Jean Charest. The latter, despite his talents as an orator and even if he presented innovative ideas during the leadership campaign, was unable to win against a formidable opponent, Pierre Poilievre, who knows the party’s activist base well.
If some saw him making the jump onto the provincial scene in order to run for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Quebec, Mr. Rayes is closing the door on this possibility.
“I have no idea the challenge I’m going to take on. There is no safety net. Today, the big decision that I made after several hours of discussions with my loved ones and my family, is that the energy and the heart, the passion to continue are no longer at the same level as before. he explained.
A demanding job
“I want to finish things well. I will finish my term and go to term. In the meantime, we will see what opportunities arise. I have time ahead of me. There is a minority Liberal government that does not seem to want an election right away. He wants to continue to govern thanks to the agreement he has with the NDP,” he added.
That said, Mr. Rayes indicated that he “still has the taste to get involved politically”, but not necessarily by being on the front “with my face on a sign during an election with all that that entails as a family sacrifice” .
He believes he could be useful in other ways as a special advisor or other government functions. He also does not rule out the idea of returning to the teaching sector. “People are missing everywhere! »
Mr. Rayes stressed that doing politics today is a very demanding job, especially since an elected official is a prime target on social networks. “Social media has become extremely virulent in many ways. »
This tension, this negativism that I have seen during the last year in particular, I want to get out of it and fall back into something positive and constructive which allows us to add up to society.
Alain Rayes, independent MP
Mr. Rayes confirms his intentions two days after the end of the Conservative Party convention in Quebec. The independent MP says he is worried about the future of our democracy.
“I am worried about this way of doing politics to get clicks on social networks, to feed target groups based on surveys. I miss big speeches from politicians who had depth and substance, who had vision. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take care of everyday life. The cost of living hurts people. We have to take action. But I’m worried about the trend the policy is taking. I am also worried about what is happening to the different media.”
Mr Rayes said one of the great speeches he heard in the Commons was made by his former leader Erin O’Toole. “It was his farewell speech. He sent lots of messages to his own party and to the entire political class on the federal scene. » Mr. O’Toole resigned as an MP in June.
