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In an era where right-wing, populist parties are trumping their liberal counterparts both in Canadian provincial politics and around the world, the best defence is a strong progressive offence, said Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.

“What is becoming clearer everywhere in advanced democracies is that right-wing populism cannot be beaten by weak liberal reform,” said the co-spokesperson for Québec Solidaire. Manon Massé is the party’s other spokesperson. “It can only be addressed and beaten by bold proposals, bold change proposals. This is being proven every day in the U.S., the U.K., France, Spain. The rise of Québec Solidaire has to be understood in that context.”

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In conversation with the Montreal Gazette’s editorial board Wednesday, Nadeau-Dubois, a former leader of the 2012 Maple Spring student movement, is justified in his talk of rapid ascent. Oft dismissed as a sovereignist socialist outlier, QS had 18 per cent support in an Ipsos poll for La Presse and Global News. That number has risen five points since the start of the campaign and is just two behind the Parti Québécois. In the crucial francophone voter segment, QS has 18 per cent of the vote, one point ahead of the Liberal party. It’s also scoring high with the youth sector.