Nantel’s group hasn’t questioned the regulation however does have an issue with the interpretation of the rule. They declare nothing prevents them from speaking with supporters of the candidate, together with members.
“If I write to my former college colleagues and ship 300 emails and there are 25 of them who’re members, it’s not prohibited and that’s what we’re doing now,” mentioned Martin Beaudry, a spokesperson for the candidate’s group.
He famous an an identical scenario occurred earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic and that the electoral officer on the time, Agnes Maltais, who “is just not a newbie,” gave them the okay.
The Nantel group maintains that the record of members offered by the PQ doesn’t embody electronic mail addresses and that, subsequently, they’re unable to determine the names to be faraway from their very own record.
They declare to have taken a number of steps to adjust to the interpretation of the principles made by the occasion, particularly by proposing that the occasion take away from their electronic mail record people who find themselves members and even rent an exterior agency at their very own expense to do that work in a impartial trend.
“That was of no curiosity to them,” famous Beaudry.
Whereas the sanction seems to be largely symbolic, Beaudry instructed Presse Canadienne that it sends a message in regards to the integrity of the candidate.
“That is to inform the world that Man Nantel doesn’t respect the principles,” he mentioned.
The PQ has been and not using a chief for the reason that resignation of Jean-François Lisée on the night of the overall elections of Oct. 1, 2018, when the occasion suffered a historic defeat. Pascal Bérubé, the MNA from Matane is the interim chief.