Guillaume Cliche-Rivard named Québec Solidaire interim co-spokesperson

Quebec Solidaire MNA Guillaume Cliche-Rivard is calling on Premier Francois Legault to apologize for his reaction to the Laurent Report committee. (Jacques Boissinot, The Canadian Press)

Québec Solidaire has chosen Guillaume Cliche-Rivard as its interim male co-spokesperson after Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois stepped down on Thursday.

The MNA for Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne is taking on the mantle immediately and until a new spokesperson is elected.

“I am honoured to receive this vote of confidence from the party. In the current context, Québec Solidaire’s voice is more important than ever and I will spare no effort to defend our vision of Québec,” Cliche-Rivard said in a news release.

He will not be able to run as a candidate in the next election for the male spokesperson position to “ensure a fair and open process for all our members aspiring to this responsibility,” according to the QS parliamentary wing.

QS President Roxane Milot said Cliche-Rivard was chosen for his “tenacity in dealing with the government” and his strong communication skills. She said he has “social justice and support for marginalized people tattooed on his heart,” in a news release.

Ruba Ghazal, QS co-spokesperson and newly elected parliamentary leader for the party, said she is “delighted” that Cliche-Rivard will be joining her in speaking for QS.

“In the face of the right-wing winds and the repeated attacks on our social model, I have full confidence in Guillaume to carry the voice of those who are never listened to,” she said.

Cliche-Rivard is known for his advocacy for the rights of immigrants with precarious status. He holds two bachelor’s degrees — in international relations and international law, and in law — and a Master’s degree in international development.

He acts as legal counsel for Amnesty International and is a consultant for the Montreal Office for the Integration of Newcomers.

As a lawyer, Cliche-Rivard worked on high-profile cases like Mamadi Camara’s and Edward Snowden’s guardian angels.

At the National Assembly, he is QS’s parliamentary leader and is responsible for a number of issues like justice, immigration, francization and integration, international relations and the French-speaking world, social services and secularism.

• READ MORE: Québec Solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois to leave politics at end of mandate

QS is mandated to have gender parity in its leadership, opting to have two co-spokespersons instead of the traditional party leader. However, only one is made parliamentary leader.

Nadeau-Dubois resigned from his duties as male co-spokesperson and parliamentary leader after eight years with the party.

He cited his family and feeling “worn down,” for his stepping aside, adding that the party needs new blood.

Details of the race for the position of male spokesperson will be announced in coming weeks, according to a QS news release.