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“As you may know, Catherine and I lived for many years in Quebec (City), our second son was born in Quebec (City),” he said in Lévis. “Our attachment to the city and region are so strong that Catherine and I still own a residence in Quebec.”

Mulcair lived in Quebec City in the 1970s, after graduating from law school, and worked as a provincial government lawyer. He later returned to the city as a Liberal member of the National Assembly from 1994 to 2007.

Mulcair’s future as NDP leader is uncertain after the party’s mediocre showing in the federal election. He will face a confidence vote at the party’s upcoming national convention in the spring, unless he announces his resignation before then.

Should he stay on, he will likely travel outside Ottawa often to build up support amongst New Democrats across the country.

Many MPs prefer to stay in hotels on days they are required to be in Ottawa. Indeed, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stayed at the Château Laurier hotel when he wasn’t campaigning for the leadership of the Liberal Party.

For Mulcair personally, the change of his party’s standing meant his salary was cut by $80,000, he lost his $2,000 car allowance, and can no longer live rent-free at Stornoway.

The disclosure records do not indicate the total amount of debt on the properties or his line-of-credit. He is required to disclose only liabilities that exceed $10,000.

In 2012, the Citizen reported that Mulcair had repeatedly re-mortgaged his home in Beaconsfield, rolling over 11 mortgages on the property and adding more debt each time. Debt on the property rose from $58,000 to $300,000, land registry records showed.

Mulcair, who earned a high salary as a government lawyer and later, provincial cabinet minister, declined to explain why he was borrowing the money against his home. His office called it “a private matter.”