With Quebecers heading to the polls on October 5, we expect the usual
surprise visits of candidates, political staffers and promises. Here in Pontiac, the choice should not be about who can place the most signs along Highway 148. Pontiac is not a
political photo opportunity, it is a region that deserves functioning services, serious investment and political attention that lasts longer than an election campaign.
The incumbent has a record. The challengers need to find answers.
André Fortin has represented Pontiac since 2014. That matters. After more than a decade, voters are entitled to examine the record closely, not merely the announcements and victories, but also what remains unresolved. What has improved? What has not? Which files moved forward? Which ones stalled? And after twelve years, what should Pontiac reasonably expect next? Incumbency cannot mean that every success belongs to the representative while every failure belongs to Quebec City.
But challengers should not celebrate too quickly.
Pointing at problems is easy. Anyone capable of driving through Pontiac with their eyes open can identify problems. The harder task is explaining how you will solve them. Mariana Mefleh (CAQ), Marcela Cazas (PQ), Will Twolan (Conservative) and Bianca Baldo (QS) and anyone else who enters this race should therefore expect the same scrutiny.
Do not simply tell Pontiac what is wrong. We already know what is wrong. Tell us what you will do differently. Tell us what your party will fund. Tell us which commitments you are prepared to be judged on four years from now. If you want the job, show us the plan.
This matters because when someone cannot find a family doctor, that is not a talking point. It is a Pontiac family wondering where to turn for care. When a road deteriorates or a bridge needs repair, that is not simply another line in an infrastructure budget. It affects the farmer moving equipment, and the worker driving home after a long day.
When a young person believes the only way to build a career is to leave Pontiac, we lose more than a worker. We lose part of our future. And when families search for childcare and when seniors worry about accessing services close to home, these are not isolated problems.
Pontiac is indeed resilient. But resilience should not become an excuse for neglect. A community should not have to become exceptionally good at coping with
inadequate services simply because governments have become exceptionally good at praising its ability to cope.
Pontiac has its own realities. Our geography matters. Our agricultural communities matter. Our small businesses matter. Our seniors matter.
Our English- and French-speaking communities matter. The distance between communities and essential services matters. Therefore, Pontiac should not enter this election
begging to be noticed. It should enter demanding to be heard.
