On May 14, the Parti Québécois officially unveiled its candidate for the upcoming Arthabaska byelection: Alex Boissonneault, a former Radio-Canada journalist. The announcement, held at the marina in Saint-Ferdinand, comes amid a heated race that will also see Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime running.

However, controversy quickly overshadowed Boissonneault’s candidacy as details of his radical past resurfaced in the media.

In 2001, Boissonneault, then 22, was a member of Commando Germinal, a far-left group described by some as ideologically adjacent to the FLQ.

He was arrested prior to the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City and later convicted of conspiracy to commit mischief. While he served no jail time beyond 41 days of pre-trial detention, the severity of the charges — including possession of explosives and military supplies — has raised public concern.

PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon acknowledged he was unaware of this history when initially approaching Boissonneault.

“The person I approached was the star journalist and host from Radio-Canada, who has worked in journalism for 18 years,” he said. “I had no knowledge of those facts at the time.” He added, “Yes, I was made aware of the events of 2001. He told me about them directly. But again, I did not know about it when I approached him.”

When Rebel News directly asked whether he condemned the group’s actions and ideology, Boissonneault responded unequivocally: “I absolutely condemn it. When I say I regret it and admit it was a mistake in judgment, that means I condemn it. And through reflection, I’ve come to condemn that kind of behavior even more.”

St-Pierre Plamondon reinforced this position: “The Parti Québécois always condemns violence—whether it comes from the radical left or the radical right. Violence has no place in our society. When someone has made a mistake at 21 or 22 years old, taken responsibility, paid their dues, and received a pardon, we believe they should be able to reclaim their place in society. Our justice system only has credibility if it allows for rehabilitation.”

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