Anglophone candidates lacking, community group says

An English community group says provincial political parties need to do a better job recruitinganglophone candidates.

"Any government should be representing all Quebecers. So if there are high percentages of women, anglophones, allophones, any cultural community minority, those should be presented in political parties, said Sylvia Martin-Laforge, president of the anglophone-rights groupQuebec Community Groups Network.

According to the 2011 census, a total of 599,230 people or 7.7 per cent of Quebecers identified English as their mother tongue.

Quebecs chief electoral office does not keep track of candidates maternal language, but the list of MNAs elected in 2012 shows about 10 people with anglophone or allophone last names.

Martin-Laforge says that having anglophone representation and candidates who speak Englishis critical for any party who wants to form a government.

Its not just about the PQ (PartiQubcois). Its about the Liberals and the CAQs(Coalition AvenirQubec) as well. We have to make them understand what the needs of this linguistic minority are, and have them consider them in their platforms, she said, adding that there areanglophone communities who live in regions such as theGasp, the Eastern Townships and in northeastern Quebec along the Labrador border.

Anglophone candidates in 2014 election

CBCs Daybreak host MikeFinnertyspoke with members of the main political parties to find out what role anglophone candidates will play in the 2014 election.

The Parti Qubcois, with its voter base in Quebecs French and pro-separatist population, doesnt have any anglophone candidates running in the 2014 election.

"We do not have anglo candidates. Our candidates are bilingual and francophone," said PQ spokeswoman Antonine Yaccarini.

Yaccarini said the party has no policy against anglophone candidates, but if an English-speaking candidate did decide to run, they would have to speak French.

The other three main parties are running anglophone candidates.

Two English-speaking candidates are running in one of Montreals more diverseridingsNotre-Dame-de-Grcewhere 41 per cent of people are anglophone.

Coalition Avenir QubecsNDG candidate Noah Sideland Liberal NDG incumbentKathleen Weilspoke with CBCDaybreak host Mike Finnerty on Thursday.

Qubec SolidaireNDG candidateAnnick Desjardins also joined the discussion.

Sidel says the CAQ embraces candidates from all language groups. He says he was sought out for his anglophone roots.

Whats really important isnt necessarily whether the candidate is anglophone but also [that they] understand the community they come from and is able to communicate with everyone in that community.

Weil says being bilingual isn't enough she saysits important for parties to haverepresentatives with roots in all communities.

When you talk about language legislation, its very, very pertinent to have people who actually come from the community. They feel it viscerally on issues like the charter, Weil told CBCs Daybreak.

I will tell you that the Liberal party, when they went to recruit me, they were clearly looking for somebody from the English-speaking community, who was bilingual.

Desjardins says that even though she isnt an anglophone, the majority of her campaign workersare.

Were not disconnected. You need to be able to speak to your constituents and to represent them well, and thats what we do at Quebec Solidaire, she said.